Punjab Governor Recommends Parole for Beant Singh Case Convict on Humanitarian Grounds

Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday said he has recommended parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence in connection with the assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh. The recommendation has been made on humanitarian grounds to allow Hawara to meet his ailing mother.

Speaking to reporters, Kataria said, "His mother is unwell. We have recommended his case on humanitarian grounds." The governor's intervention was necessary as Hawara's parole plea is being considered in Delhi, where he is lodged at the Mandoli prison.

The development comes a day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged Kataria to intervene and facilitate Hawara's parole. Mann had written to Kataria, who also serves as the administrator of Chandigarh, seeking 10-day parole for Hawara. The chief minister said Hawara's mother had a "renewed hope" of meeting her son after 31 years.

Former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, the grandson of Beant Singh, also expressed support for the parole, saying his family would always honour the "supreme sacrifice" of the former chief minister. However, he added that compassion, humanity and peace should guide society forward, and hoped the competent authorities would consider the request expeditiously and take an appropriate decision in accordance with law.

Beant Singh, who served as Punjab's chief minister from 1992 to 1995, was killed in a suicide bombing outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. Sixteen others also died in the blast.

Hawara was convicted and initially sentenced to death. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. He has been in prison for over three decades.

Last month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the authorities at Delhi's Mandoli prison to decide Hawara's parole application in a time-bound manner, after obtaining recommendations from the Chandigarh administration. The court's order came in response to a plea filed by Hawara seeking parole to meet his mother.

The parole application is now expected to be processed by the concerned authorities in Delhi, following the governor's recommendation. The case highlights the balance between legal procedures and humanitarian considerations, with multiple political leaders from across the spectrum backing Hawara's plea.

While the parole decision rests with the competent authorities, the matter has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of the case and the prolonged incarceration of the convict. The response to Hawara's plea will be watched closely as it involves both legal and humanitarian dimensions.