On 4 Nov, the Supreme Court of India (SCI) said, if the Union govt. does not decide on it either way, it would consider the mercy petition of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana in the 1995 Panjab CM Beant Singh assassination case (SDW Vol 1 Issue 15, Story 2). A special court had sentenced Rajoana to death in July 2007. Rajoana, in custody for 29 years, is seeking commutation of his death sentence to life term.’ Rajoana’s counsel Mukul Rastogi said, ‘His mercy petition has been pending with the President for the past 12 years. Please release him for six or three months. Let him see what the outside world looks like.’ On 8 Nov, the Rouse Avenue Court (RAC), Delhi reserved its judgment in a 1984 Sikh genocide case against former INC MP Sajjan Kumar, on the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar on 1 Nov 1984. RAC is expected to deliver its judgment on 29 Nov. Kumar is currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail, serving a life sentence imposed by the Delhi High Court (DHC) in 2018 for his involvement in the killing of five Sikhs at Raj Nagar Part I in Palam Colony on 1-2 Nov 1984 and the burning down of the Raj Nagar Part II Gurdwara. Currently, three cases are pending against Kumar in the RAC, two appeals against his acquittals are pending in the DHC, and one appeal against his conviction in one case is pending in the SCI. Meanwhile, on 12 Nov, the DHC made it clear that the murder trial against INC leader Jagdish Tytler would continue (SDW Vol 2 Issue 41, Story 7).
Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories.
Liv Forum provides a digest of analysis on major issues facing Indian (East) Panjab and Sikhs globally.
In accordance with our Privacy Policy, we will never share or sell the information of our subscribers.
