Rajona, convicted of Beant Singh's murder, awaits SC hearing on November 18
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The hearing on the petition filed by Balwant Singh Rajona, the murderer of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, has been postponed by the Supreme Court for two weeks today (Monday). The bench, comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and K.V. Vishwanathan, stated that they would consider relief only after hearing the case. The matter is now set to be heard on November 18, during which the central government is expected to file a response. Rajona has requested the petition to convert his death sentence into life imprisonment, arguing that the Indian government has delayed its decision on his mercy petition. He has been in jail for nearly 29 years.
**Arguments Presented in Court**
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi (representing Rajona) described the delay in deciding the mercy petition as "shocking." He noted that this individual has been in continuous custody for 29 years. He was originally convicted in 1996 for a bombing offense. Before Rohatgi could finish, Justice Gavai asked the lawyer representing Punjab if a response had been filed against the issued notice. The lawyer replied that they could not submit a report due to the holidays. Gavai then stated that the court was willing to grant Punjab two weeks to file a response.
**Argument for Release in Six Months**
Rohatgi then pressed for interim relief, stating that Rajona has spent 29 years in jail. His mercy petition has not been resolved, whereas the Supreme Court has converted the sentences of others to life imprisonment in similar cases. His petition was previously addressed by the bench in May 2023, which indicated that the relevant authorities would take action on the mercy petition in a timely manner. A year and a half has passed since then. "A man who has now spent 29 years in jail should be released for six months or three months. He is a finished person. At the very least, let him see what is outside... You cannot completely violate his Article 21 rights."
In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta strongly opposed any interim relief for Rajona. The petition also requested his release on the grounds that he has already served a total of 28 years and 8 months of his sentence, including 17 years in a 8” x 10” death row cell as a death penalty convict, 2.5 years of which were spent in solitary confinement.
Beant Singh was assassinated on August 31, 1995. According to Rajona's statement, he and Punjab police employee Dilawar Singh used a human bomb to carry out the attack on Beant Singh. Dilawar, posing as a human bomb, attacked Beant Singh. The conspiracy was structured in such a way that if Dilawar failed, Rajona was supposed to carry out the attack. The court had sentenced Rajona to death.
