Chandigarh, May 18 – The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has decided not to withdraw the mercy petition filed on behalf of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a death row convict in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
The apex Sikh body made its stance clear following a high-level meeting with legal experts held in Chandigarh. Rajoana, who was convicted and sentenced to death in 2007 for his role in the 1995 blast that killed Beant Singh and 16 others, had earlier demanded that the SGPC withdraw the mercy petition filed on his behalf.
SGPC to Continue Legal Battle
SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said on Saturday that legal advisors unanimously recommended continuing with the petition."All lawyers gave their view that the petition should not be withdrawn. We should see what the government's stand is on it," Dhami stated. He criticized successive governments at the Centre for not making a decision on the matter, calling it a serious issue involving human rights.
"This continued inaction reflects a violation of human rights," he added, reaffirming the SGPC’s long-standing commitment to the legal process.
Legal and Scholarly Support
The meeting was attended by senior advocates including Puran Singh Hundal, G S Bal, Amar Singh Chahal, Rajwinder Singh Bains, as well as Sikh scholar Kehar Singh and former IAS officer Kahan Singh Pannu. All participants reportedly supported the decision to persist with the petition.The mercy plea under Article 72 of the Constitution was filed by the SGPC in March 2012. The Supreme Court earlier this year asked the Centre to make a decision on the matter, citing an "inordinate delay" in processing the petition.
SGPC's Broader Efforts for Sikh Prisoners
The SGPC has also been advocating for the release of other Sikh prisoners, including Devinderpal Singh Bhullar, convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case. These efforts are part of a broader campaign by the committee to address what it sees as injustices against members of the Sikh community.Rajoana, currently on death row, remains at the center of a high-stakes legal and political battle that touches on justice, human rights, and the legacy of Punjab's turbulent past.
