Balwant Singh Rajoana's death sentence commuted to life imprisonment; he was key conspirator in ex-Punjab CM's murder

Chandigarh (Punjab): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has commuted the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case. The order has been conveyed to the Punjab and Chandigarh administrations. The Chandigarh administration will pursue remission orders. Rajoana, who was sentenced to death in 2007, will now undergo life imprisonment.

Union Ministry of Home Affairs has commuted death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh.Orders conveyed to Punjab and Chandigarh administrations. Chandigarh administration to pursue remission orders pic.twitter.com/RZhvWHzjYj

— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2019

Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had approved the commutation of Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment as a humanitarian gesture on the 550th Prakash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev . On 31 August, 1995, seventeen people, including the then chief minister Beant Singh, were killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. Rajoana was charged as the key conspirator in the murder of Singh in 1995. Arrested shortly after the then Chief Minister’s assassination, Rajoana confessed to his crime in 1997. A former police officer of Punjab, Rajoana was radicalised during the Khalistan insurgency movement and turned into a militant. After his conviction in 2007, Rajaona said he would not seek mercy “even in distant dreams”, as he accused the institutions of justice of turning a blind eye to the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots.