Pressured, centre stays hanging of Beant killer

Amid growing tension in Punjab over the hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for killing Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, the Centre stayed the March 31 execution. HT reports.Protests in Punjab | Free Rajoana | Was the Centre right in staying the order? Vote here

Amid growing tension in Punjab over the hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for killing Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, the Centre stayed the March 31 execution.

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The decision, taken in response to a mercy petition by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, suits all political parties - including the Congress and the BJP - that did not want to be seen to be soft on terror, but did not want to antagonise Sikh opinion either.

The home ministry said in a letter that Rajoana's hanging had been "stayed" till the Supreme Court decides on his co-accused, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Lakhwinder Singh's appeals, or the President's order on the petition -whichever comes later.

The ministry's message came around the time Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal was at the Rashtrapati Bhavan to hand over the petition on Wednesday.

Earlier, Rajoana did not challenge the trial court sentence in the high court and told political parties not to file mercy pleas.