New Delhi. The President will have to take a decision within 2 weeks on the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted of the bomb blast murder of Beant Singh, who was the CM of the then Congress government of Punjab during the period of terrorism. The Supreme Court has given this instruction on the application of Balwant Singh Rajoana. The Supreme Court has asked the Union Home Ministry to present the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana before the President. Balwant Singh Rajoana has been sentenced to death, but has been kept in jail. Beant Singh’s killer Rajoana had filed an application in the Supreme Court in 2023. In his application, Balwant Singh Rajoana had argued that there has been a delay in the consideration of his mercy petition. Therefore, death penalty should be removed and lesser punishment should be given.
Balwant Singh Rajoana is lodged in Patiala jail of Punjab. In 1997, the court found him guilty of the murder of Beant Singh and sentenced him to death. Balwant Singh Rajoana was born in 1967 in Ludhiana. He joined Punjab Police in 1987. Rajoana’s father Malkit Singh was killed by terrorists. Then Rajoana’s friend was killed by the Punjab Police. After which Rajoana became a terrorist. On August 31, 1995, Balwant Singh Rajoana along with his friend Dilawar Singh had reached Punjab Secretariat with an IED bomb. There, the then Punjab CM Beant Singh was assassinated by the same bomb. Along with Beant Singh, 17 other people also lost their lives in the incident. Three commandos were also among those martyred. You can understand how powerful the bomb was used in the murder of Beant Singh by looking at the picture below.
The Ambassador car in which Balwant Singh Rajoana and Dilawar Singh had gone to Punjab Secretariat was recovered by Chandigarh Police. The murder case of Beant Singh and others was investigated by the CBI. In which charges were framed against terrorists Jagtar Singh Hawara, Jagtar Singh Tara, Naseeb Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, Paramjit Singh Bhevra and Balwant Singh Rajoana. Now after the instructions of the Supreme Court, it has to be seen what decision the President takes on the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana. Let us tell you that the President and the Governors of the states have the right to take decisions on mercy petitions. They can also decide to give lesser punishment to the convict or cancel his sentence. Whatever may be the decision on Rajoana’s mercy petition, it is certain that it will have a big impact on the politics of Punjab and the Centre. The reason for this is that if his death sentence remains intact, then an atmosphere can be created against BJP in Punjab. At the same time, questions can be raised from Congress if the punishment is reduced.
