Probe ordered into SGPC delegation meeting with Rajoana in Patiala jail

A day after a delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) met Balwant Singh Rajoana at Patiala central jail, a probe has been ordered into the meeting at jail superintendent’s office and photos clicked inside office. Rajoana has been awarded death penalty for assassinating former Punjab CM Beant Singh.

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The former CM’s grandson and MP from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu, wrote to jail minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa to investigate the matter. In his written communiqué to Randhawa, Bittu said that the central jail superintendent violated the jail manual by allowing SGPC delegation led by its president Gobind Singh Longowal to meet Rajoana in his office.

“It is even more disturbing that photos of meeting were circulated by SGPC. A group photo of delegation seated around Rajoana comes as a shocker, especially to Congress workers, who have fought relentlessly against terrorism,” Bittu said.

He added that he is unable to comprehend the rules of the jail manual under which the delegation entered the office with their cellphones, and click photos with terrorist sentenced to death. “Moreover, all this is happening when our party is ruling the state,’’ he added. He demanded a detailed investigation and punishment to jail administration for defying jail rules.

Randhawa also said that the incident is a serious matter as no visitor is allowed to carry his phone inside jail. “The principal secretary (prisons) has been directed to go through the jail manual and act against the erring official,” Randhawa said.

He added that although the SGPC president can visit superintendent office, but no one should have been allowed to carry their phones inside the jail premises.

It is to be noted that Rajoana has deferred his January 11 hunger strike after meeting SGPC president who assured him of all help in pursuing his appeal for commuting his death sentence.