A Chandigarh court on Tuesday ordered that Balwant Singh Rajoana, on death row for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, be hanged on March 31 as scheduled.
This order is likely to be challenged by the Punjab government as the Akali Dal leadership is seeking clemency for the Babbar Khalsa International militant.
Punjab advocate-general Anupinder Singh Grewal told this newspaper: “We will approach the high court for a review of the order.”
In New Delhi, the Centre seemed unwilling to intervene. Union law minister Salman Khurshid said Tuesday that neither the Centre nor the state government “can do anything outside the system”. He added: “We’ll have to work according to it.” Chandigarh’s additional district and sessions court on Tuesday returned the warrant for Rajoana’s execution over the 1995 killing of Beant Singh, rejecting a petition by Patiala Central Jail superintendent L.R. Jakhar, who pleaded inability to carry out the execution. It also issued a showcause notice to him, returnable on April 16.
Right-wing Sikh organisations in Punjab have opposed Rajoana’s hanging. As tensions rose Tuesday, the state government put its law enforcement machinery on alert. Police and paramilitary columns held flag marches across the state to quell any violent outburst. A bandh call has been given.
The SGPC has sent a mercy petition to President Pratibha Patil. Chief minister Parkash Singh Badal is likely to arrive Wednesday to meet the President and PM to press the matter.