Days after death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an immediate decision on his long-pending mercy petition, Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami met him at Patiala Central Jail on Tuesday.
They were accompanied by Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Tek Singh and SGPC executive member Surjit Singh Garhi. The delegation enquired about Rajoana’s health and well-being.
Rajoana, who was sentenced to death for his role in the 1995 assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, has spent more than 31 years in prison, including nearly two decades on death row.
In a five-page letter dated September 17, Rajoana urged the PM to take a final decision on his mercy petition, which has remained pending for several years. He said he had spent about 20 years facing the prospect of execution and wanted an end to the prolonged uncertainty.
According to Giani Gargaj, Rajoana made it clear during the meeting that he was not seeking mercy or a pardon but wanted a final decision on the petition.
Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court for his role in the August 31, 1995, blast outside the Punjab civil secretariat in Chandigarh, in which Beant Singh and 17 others were killed. The Punjab and Haryana high court upheld the death sentence in 2010.
{{/usCountry}}Rajoana was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court for his role in the August 31, 1995, blast outside the Punjab civil secretariat in Chandigarh, in which Beant Singh and 17 others were killed. The Punjab and Haryana high court upheld the death sentence in 2010.
{{/usCountry}}His execution, scheduled for March 2012, was stayed after the SGPC filed a mercy petition on his behalf before the President.
In September 2019, the Union home ministry proposed commuting Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment as part of a special remission proposal concerning certain Sikh prisoners. The proposal, however, was not implemented.
The issue resurfaced in April when Rajoana asked the Akal Takht to direct the SGPC to withdraw its mercy petition, saying he did not wish to seek clemency and objected to the prolonged uncertainty surrounding his case. The SGPC subsequently referred the matter to the Akal Takht for guidance.
The Akal Takht acting jathedar said that if the government failed to take a timely decision on Rajoana’s case, a meeting of the five Sikh high priests would be convened to determine the next course of action in accordance with Rajoana’s stated position.
Dhami said Rajoana had specifically sought an early disposal of the SGPC-filed petition and had reiterated that he was not seeking an apology for his actions.
While being taken to Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, for eye check-up, on Tuesday, Rajoana said the prolonged delay in deciding his mercy petition amounted to a violation of his human rights.
He claimed that the matter had remained pending before the Supreme Court for several years despite repeated hearings. “Forty-three hearings have already taken place, but there is still no decision,” he said.