High Court Issues Notice To Chandigarh Admin On Beant Singh Assassination Convict's Plea For Premature Release
Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to Chandigarh Administration, Patiala Deputy Commissioner and the district's SSP on a petition challenging rejection of a convict's request for premature release in the Beant Singh assassination case.While issuing notice, Justice Avneesh Jhingan listed the matter for hearing on February 20. Gurmeet Singh, who is incarcerated in Chandigarh's...
Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to Chandigarh Administration, Patiala Deputy Commissioner and the district's SSP on a petition challenging rejection of a convict's request for premature release in the Beant Singh assassination case.
While issuing notice, Justice Avneesh Jhingan listed the matter for hearing on February 20.
Gurmeet Singh, who is incarcerated in Chandigarh's Model Jail, has prayed for the issuance of a writ holding him to be fully entitled to premature release. Chandigarh Administration had rejected his application for premature release on October 31.
Singh, 52, was convicted under Sections 302, 307 read with Section 120B IPC and Section 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act in the case related to the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh.
His counsels Vijay K. Jindal and Vipul Jindal submitted before the court that the petitioner has already undergone actual sentence of over 27 years and a total sentence of over 31 years including remissions and excluding parole period till November 30. They contended that having fulfilled all the conditions as per the Punjab Jail Manual, 1996, which manual also applies to the UT of Chandigarh, read with Section 432(2) of the CrPC, the petitioner is entitled to premature release.
The petition states that during the entire period of sentence, he was never found guilty of any jail offence. "He was also allowed to be released on parole under the Good Conduct Prisoners Temporary Release Act on number of occasions because of continuous good conduct while undergoing sentence," his counsel told the court.
It has been argued that as per Paragraph 431 of the Punjab Jail Manual, convicts - whose death sentence has been commuted to life imprisonment, are required to undergo 14 years actual imprisonment and 20 years including remissions for premature release.
Case Title: Gurmeet Singh v. UT Administration, Chandigarh and Others
Citation: CRWP-11615-2022
Coram: Justice Avneesh Jhingan