Rajoana defers hunger strike after meeting SGPC chief at jail

Rajoana had decided to go on a stir against the SGPC for its “lack of support” in pursuing his appeal for commuting his death sentence

A delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) met Balwant Singh Rajoana, who has been awarded death penalty for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, at Patiala’s central jail on Monday.

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According to Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur, he deferred his January-11 hunger strike after SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal met him in the prison and assured him all legal help in assisting his case.

Rajoana had decided to go on a stir against the SGPC for its “lack of support” in pursuing his appeal for commuting his death sentence.

“We have assured him that the SGPC will take up with the Centre the matter of not commuting his death penalty. We will also explore all available legal options and move Supreme Court accordingly,” Longowal said.

Central government had earlier included Rajoana’s name to the list of eight Sikh prisoners who are undergoing sentences for crimes that took place during the militancy period.

Their names were cleared for special remission by the Centre as a humanitarian gesture on the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev.

However in the first week of December, Union home minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha that no pardon was granted to Rajoana.