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PATIALA: A delegation of Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) led by its president on Tuesday held two hours meeting inside central jail Patiala with Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in former CM Beant Singh’s assassination case.
Having spent around 28 years in jail including 17 years in Fansi-Chakki, Rajoana had early this month warned SGPC of hunger strike in case it failed to withdraw the mercy petition it had filed around 12 years ago before the President of India but the decision was still awaited.Rajoana had earlier given one week ultimatum but later extended it as SGPC announced to meet him soon on this matter.
On Tuesday, Rajoana in his fresh letter to SGPC president had again warned to go on “hunger – strike” from December 5 to withdraw the petition filed on his behalf before the country’s President.
In Tuesday’s letter, Rajoana said that in the past 11 years and 8 months, the SGPC and SD leaders failed to perform their religious duties they were meant to do in the mercy – petition case. “The SAD (B) leaders, despite remaining in alliance with (then) central government, could not get the mercy petition decided. Thus, the SGPC and SAD leaders should apologise from Sikh community by standing before Akal Takht as they failed to perform their religious duties in this matter”.
SGPC President HS Dhami, said, “We met Rajoana for two hours in jail. He has been firm on his decision to get the petition withdrawn as it has been hanging for around 12 years. Rajoana refused to take any legal assistance and confessed he had no remorse on what he has done and thus he never challenged the lower court’s decision on his capital punishment. His execution orders reached in 2012 during SAD government but the same was stopped after which SGPC on directions of Akal Takht filed mercy petition to convert his death sentence into life imprisonment. After many years, Rajoana filed a petition in the Supreme Court to take decision over the mercy petition tabled for long before the President of India, but SC decided that whatever decision the central government wants to take on this, can take. Rajoana now has been seeking withdrawal of his mercy petition as he does not want to die every day. Rajoana has given us some suggestions on which we will sit and discuss to take decision”.
Dhami said that a meeting of executive committee will be held on November 30.
Rajoana’s adoptive sister Kamaldeep Kaur who earlier also questioned the silence of Akal Takht Jathedar and Akali Dal leaders and blamed them for not making sufficient efforts to get Balwant Singh freed from jail, on Tuesday said, “The circumstances have forced Rajoana to take this decision of hunger strike as for 12 years, the decision over mercy petition is awaited. On one hand rapist Dera Chief is getting paroles while other criminals are free but on other side Rajoana has been in jail for 28 years. This also poses a question before our institutions. Had our political leaders been serious over this matter, the decision over mercy petition would have come.”
Notably, she had unsuccessfully contested Sangrur by-poll as joint candidate of SAD (B)-BSP and some Panthic organizations on the issue of ‘Bandi Singhs’ but lost to SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Mann, said that she would not contest any upcoming elections.
Rajoana, was awarded death sentence in July 2007 in assassination case of former CM Beant Singh who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in August 1995. Rajoana was scheduled to be hanged on March 31, 2012 but it was deferred after the SGPC, a week before Rajoana’s hanging, filed a mercy petition on his behalf before the President of India.
Having spent around 28 years in jail including 17 years in Fansi-Chakki, Rajoana had early this month warned SGPC of hunger strike in case it failed to withdraw the mercy petition it had filed around 12 years ago before the President of India but the decision was still awaited.Rajoana had earlier given one week ultimatum but later extended it as SGPC announced to meet him soon on this matter.
On Tuesday, Rajoana in his fresh letter to SGPC president had again warned to go on “hunger – strike” from December 5 to withdraw the petition filed on his behalf before the country’s President.
In Tuesday’s letter, Rajoana said that in the past 11 years and 8 months, the SGPC and SD leaders failed to perform their religious duties they were meant to do in the mercy – petition case. “The SAD (B) leaders, despite remaining in alliance with (then) central government, could not get the mercy petition decided. Thus, the SGPC and SAD leaders should apologise from Sikh community by standing before Akal Takht as they failed to perform their religious duties in this matter”.
SGPC President HS Dhami, said, “We met Rajoana for two hours in jail. He has been firm on his decision to get the petition withdrawn as it has been hanging for around 12 years. Rajoana refused to take any legal assistance and confessed he had no remorse on what he has done and thus he never challenged the lower court’s decision on his capital punishment. His execution orders reached in 2012 during SAD government but the same was stopped after which SGPC on directions of Akal Takht filed mercy petition to convert his death sentence into life imprisonment. After many years, Rajoana filed a petition in the Supreme Court to take decision over the mercy petition tabled for long before the President of India, but SC decided that whatever decision the central government wants to take on this, can take. Rajoana now has been seeking withdrawal of his mercy petition as he does not want to die every day. Rajoana has given us some suggestions on which we will sit and discuss to take decision”.
Dhami said that a meeting of executive committee will be held on November 30.
Rajoana’s adoptive sister Kamaldeep Kaur who earlier also questioned the silence of Akal Takht Jathedar and Akali Dal leaders and blamed them for not making sufficient efforts to get Balwant Singh freed from jail, on Tuesday said, “The circumstances have forced Rajoana to take this decision of hunger strike as for 12 years, the decision over mercy petition is awaited. On one hand rapist Dera Chief is getting paroles while other criminals are free but on other side Rajoana has been in jail for 28 years. This also poses a question before our institutions. Had our political leaders been serious over this matter, the decision over mercy petition would have come.”
Notably, she had unsuccessfully contested Sangrur by-poll as joint candidate of SAD (B)-BSP and some Panthic organizations on the issue of ‘Bandi Singhs’ but lost to SAD (A) Simranjit Singh Mann, said that she would not contest any upcoming elections.
Rajoana, was awarded death sentence in July 2007 in assassination case of former CM Beant Singh who was killed in a suicide bomb attack in August 1995. Rajoana was scheduled to be hanged on March 31, 2012 but it was deferred after the SGPC, a week before Rajoana’s hanging, filed a mercy petition on his behalf before the President of India.
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