Supreme Court Issues Notice On Ex-Punjab CM Beant Singh Assassination Case Convict's Plea For Transfer From Tihar Jail To Punjab

The Supreme Court today (September 27) issued notice in the petition filed by Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in the 1995 assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh and 16 others.

A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Vishwanathan will hear the petition after 4 weeks.

The petition has been filed for a transfer of the petitioner from Tihar jail, Delhi to any jail in Punjab on the grounds that his conduct in jail is good, the crime took place in the background of serious social upheaval, his daughter resides in Punjab and he is unable to attend court proceedings pending in 1 case to name a few.

Hawara was convicted on July 27, 2007 under Sections 120-B, 302, 307 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Sections 3(b), 4(b) and 5(b) r/w 6 of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 for an incident involving a bomb blast in 1995 wherein the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh along with 16 others, lost their lives.

15 accused were convicted, out of which two including Hawara and Balwant Singh were sentenced to death, while others were sentenced to life imprisonment.

The petitioner was lodged at Budhail Jail, Chandigarh during trial, where he dug a tunnel in the jail and absconded in 2004. He was re-arrested in 2005 in another case and was transmitted from Chandigarh to Delhi.

While he was undergoing sentence, on October 12, 2010, the Punjab & Haryana Court confirmed the conviction of Hawara but commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment for the rest of his life. Against this, appeals filed before the Supreme Court remain pending.

In 2018, the petitioner sought transfer from Tihar jail before the Delhi High Court, which was dismissed by an order on July 23, 2018.

Case Details: Jagtar Singh Hawara v. Govt. of NCT of Delhi & Ors

Appearances: Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves (for Jagtar Singh Hawara)