Modi govt. commutes death sentence of ex-Punjab CM’s assassin to lifer, decides to release 8 Sikh prisoners
New Delhi: In a goodwill gesture to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev in November, the Indian government has decided to release eight Sikh prisoners who are lodged in different prisons across the nation.
They were all convicted by different courts for the offences committed by them during the militancy period in Punjab, media reports said.
Meanwhile, the Indian government also decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana to life imprisonment. He was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
"A decision has been taken to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana. The process of issuing a formal notification is underway," a home ministry official told India Today.
In an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh, Beant Singh was killed on Aug 31, 1995.
Singh is credited for ending terrorism in Punjab.
Rajoana is a member of the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal thanked the Centre for the decision and tweeted: "I'm grateful to PM Sh@narendramodi ji & HM @AmitShah ji for heeding my repeated requests & commuting death sentence of a Sikh prisoner into life term and releasing 8 others prematurely ahead of the #550thparkashpurab. This step will heal wounds inflicted on #Sikhs./1"
" Grateful as I am to the PM, the home minister & NDA govt, I hope this is just the beginning of the process to review and release all #Sikh prisoners who have either served full-term or have been forced into unlawfulness under extenuating religious and emotional circumstances./2," he said.
Grateful as I am to the PM, the home minister & NDA govt, I hope this is just the beginning of the process to review and release all #Sikh prisoners who have either served full-term or have been forced into unlawfulness under extenuating religious and emotional circumstances./2
— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) September 28, 2019
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