NGO moves SC seeking stay on execution of Rajoana

An NGO on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking stay on the execution of death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

The petition, which has been filed by the NGO, Lawyers for Human Rights International, is likely to be listed for hearing on Friday.

The NGO has contended that Rajoana was not properly represented during the trial of the case and he had also not filed an appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against his conviction and capital punishment awarded by the trial court.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves will appear for the NGO seeking stay of the execution of death sentence of Rajoana which is scheduled for March 31.

The NGO in its petition filed through advocate Tariq Adeeb has challenged the March 22 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had dismissed a PIL against the order of the lower court convicting and sentencing to death Rajoana.

It contended that the decision in the case has not attained finality as the CBI has challenged in the apex court the commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment of co-accused Jagtar Singh Hawara.

"That it is submitted that the judgment vide which the death sentence has been confirmed is under appeal before the Supreme Court at the instance of the CBI.

"The special leave has been granted in an appeal against the conviction of Hawara. So the decision has not attained finality, therefore, the death sentence be not executed," the petition said.