SGPC urges Centre to act early on mercy plea of Rajoana

Amritsar, September 21

The SGPC on Tuesday urged the Centre to take an early decision on the mercy plea of Balwant Singh Rajoana who was awarded the death penalty in former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur said Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur met her and asked her to approach the Centre in this matter.

Rajoana, a former Punjab Police constable, was convicted for his involvement in an explosion outside the Punjab civil secretariat that killed Congress leader Beant Singh and 16 others in 1995.

The Centre in February this year had told the Supreme Court that President Ram Nath Kovind was seized of the matter pertaining to Rajoana’s plea seeking commutation of the death penalty awarded to him in Beant Singh’s assassination case, and a decision would be taken on it. 

The SGPC chief assured Kamaldeep Kaur that she would write a letter to the Union Home Ministry in this regard.

She appealed to the Centre to take an early decision in the matter of Rajoana’s mercy plea.

SGPC is the apex religious body of the Sikhs. —PTI