Punjab: HC upholds trial court order on acquittal of Tara, Hawara

The Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld a 2003 acquittal of Jagtar Singh and Hawara in the Beant Singh assassination case; no convictions for explosives.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has upheld a 2003 order of a trial court on acquittal of Jagtar Singh, alias Tara, and Jagtar Singh Hawara, both convicts in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh assassination case of 1995.

Tara was arrested from Thailand in January 2015 and Hawara from Delhi in 2005. (HT File)

The FIR was registered on June 11, 1998, for forgery, cheating and under provisions of the Explosives Act. The allegations were of procurement of explosive material to blow up Burail jail, where both were lodged so that they could escape.

The trial court in 2003 had convicted Satnam Singh and Balwinder Singh in this FIR and eight persons were acquitted, including Tara and Hawara. No one was convicted for procuring explosive material.

Conviction of Satnam Singh and Balwinder Singh was in the case of forgery, forging material to conceal identity to secure meetings with these two and they were awarded four-year jail term. The UT had appealed against the acquittal. However, the HC dismissed the appeal against all 10 accused.

Eventually both Hawara and Tara were successful in escaping from the Burail jail in 2004 by digging a 100-ft tunnel. Tara was arrested from Thailand in January 2015 and Hawara from Delhi in 2005.