SC order ‘unfortunate’, ‘my brother not threat to society’, says Rajoana’s sister

Chandigarh

Former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh assassination convict Balwant Singh Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur has termed the Supreme Court’s refusal to commute his death sentence ‘unfortunate’.

Convicted in 1995, Rajoana has been in jail for the past 26 years. Beant Singh and 16 others were killed in a bomb blast outside the civil secretariat in Chandigarh in 1995. Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court and his mercy petition is hanging fire for more than 11 years. In 2020, Rajoana filed a petition through the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in the Supreme Court for commuting his death sentence.

In its Wednesday’s order, the apex court declined to commute Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment, leaving it for the Union government to consider his mercy plea.

“What threat he poses to the society after being in jail for 26 years?” asked Kamaldeep, who contested the Sangrur Lok Sabha bypoll in 2022.

“My brother is not a threat to anyone... he will lead a normal life after coming out of the jail,” she said.

“The family was expecting relief from the Supreme Court, but it has sent back the matter to the Government of India, which was already holding back the decision on the matter for many years. Today’s order has shattered the hopes of our family and the Sikh panth,” Kamaldeep added.

“The Government of India issued a notification for the release of Sikh prisoners 2019, but to no avail,” she said, adding that her brother has already served jail sentence equivalent to terms of three life imprisonments.

SAD condemns ‘Centre’s U-turn’

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) condemned the Union government for doing a U-turn in the Supreme Court on the release of Balwant Singh Rajoana.

In a statement, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the BJP-led Union government was adopting double standards on the issue. “There seems to be a tactical understanding between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party, which was now coming in the way of the release of Sikh prisoners,” the SAD leader alleged.

The AAP government in Delhi was becoming an obstacle in the release of Devenderpal Singh Bhullar (convicted by a TADA court in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case) for over a year now, said Majithia.

The central government has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community. It first decided to commute the death sentence of Rajoana to life in 2019 on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and then went back on its word by refusing to decide on the mercy petition filed on Rajoana’s behalf by the SGPC in March 2012, Majithia said.

Asking the BJP to make its stand clear on the issue, Majithia said former Punjab BJP in-charge Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had signed a form seeking the release of Rajoana while paying obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib. However, the same party is coming in the way of his release.

“The manner in which the Centre tried to link the release of Rajoana with the national security in a previous affidavit has hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community,” said Majithia.

The case so far

1995: Balwant Singh Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was involved in a bomb blast outside Punjab civil secretariat that killed then chief minister Beant Singh and 16 others.

July 2007: A special CBI court in Chandigarh handed death sentence to Rajoana.

2011: Punjab and Haryana court confirms death sentence.

March 31, 2012: Rajoana was to be hanged at the Patiala high-security prison.

March 28, 2012: Centre stayed execution after Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee filed a mercy petition before the President.

November 12, 2019: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced release Sikh prisoners who have completed jail sentence equivalent to life term. However, no one was released.

2020: Rajoana filed a petition through SGPC in the apex court for commuting his death sentence.

December 2020: Supreme Court asks Centre to expedite decision on the release of Rajoana; Centre seeks more time

June 26, 2022: Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur contested Sangrur byelection as an SAD candidate and made the release of Sikh prisoners as her poll plank.

March 2, 2023: Supreme Court reserves judgment on commuting Rajoana death sentence

May 3, 2023: Apex court refuses to commute death sentence, asks Centre to decide on the matter.