E-Paper
Beant Singh assassination case: Non-bailable warrant against convict Shamsher Singh
He was released after Punjab and Haryana high court ordered in January the release of all those convicts on regular bail who had completed their life sentence but the decision of their pre-mature release was pending. But Shamsher’s premature release request was declined by the Chandigarh Administration this year. He has not surrendered before the court despite notices.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, has issued a non-bailable warrant against Shamsher Singh, one of the convicts behind the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
In mid-June last year, Shamsher Singh moved the local court for his release on bail as the UT administration had not decided on his premature release petition.
On September 20, he was granted interim bail on a surety of ₹2 lakh. He was released in view of the order of the Punjab and Haryana high court in January regarding release all those convicts on regular bail who had completed their life sentence but the decision of their pre-mature release was pending.
However, his premature release request was declined by the Chandigarh Administration this year, following which the CJM court issued notice to Shamsher Singh to surrender. He has not surrendered before the court despite notices.
This is the second non-bailable warrant issued by the CJM court.
Beant Singh was killed in an explosion outside the civil secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The special CBI court had awarded death penalty to Balwant Rajoana in July 2007. It also awarded death penalty to Jagtar Singh Hawara and life imprisonment to Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Singh and Shamsher Singh in August 2007.
On May 10 and June 2 last year, the CJM had released Lakhwinder Singh and Gurmeet Singh on interim bail.
Shamsher Singh, a native of Patiala, has been behind bars since his arrest in 1995.
