Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, two of the six convicts, in the assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, were awarded death sentence.
Death for two in Beant assassination
Three others get life imprisonment; convicts raised pro-Khalistan slogans after judgement
Ajay Bharadwaj
CHANDIGARH: After more than 11 years of trial in the Beant Singh assassination case, the CBI Special Court on Tuesday pronounced death sentence for two convicts, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh, and life imprisonment for three persons, Lakhbir Singh, Gurmit Singh and Shamsher Singh.
Former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh was assassinated on August 31, 1995, along with 16 others in an explosion triggered by a human bomb, Dilawar Singh, in front of the Punjab Civil Secretariat. The verdict was announced in the high-security Burail jail where all the six convicts are lodged.
As soon as the judge pronounced the verdict, the convicts and their family members raised pro-Khalistan slogans. Naseeb Singh, the sixth convict, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment, but was released since he has already spent 12 years behind the bar. Incidentally, Balwant, who got death sentence, has been a Punjab police constable, along with Dilawar Singh, who operated as human bomb.
One of the accused, Navjot Singh, was acquitted, whereas four other accused, Wadhawa Singh, Mehal Singh, Jagrup Singh and Jagtar Singh Tara have been absconding.
Wadhawa Singh and Mehal Singh are believed to have been hiding in Pakistan for the last many years. The trial in the case had taken a serious turn when the prime accused Hawara, chief of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in Punjab, escaped from the Burail jail in January, 2004, along with two other accused after digging a tunnel.
Also read: Akal Takhat shocked over court verdict in Beant murder
The Pakistan-based Wadhawa Singh is believed to have masterminded the sensational jail escape. Hawara was rearrested in June 2005, whereas his associates, Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh Bheora continue to be at large.
More than 240 witnesses were examined by the special court during the course of the trial which lasted more than 11 years. The CBI investigations found that a BKI activist Dilawar Singh had triggered the explosion as a human bomb as the former chief minister was leaving his office in the evening.
Beant Singh was targeted by militants for his firm support to the police in eliminating militancy from Punjab during his term as chief minister. More than 125 militants were gunned down by the police during his term while many others laid down arms under police pressure.
Beant Singh along with the then police chief KPS Gill got laurels for decimating militancy in Punjab. In the process both became eyesore to militants who planned attacks on them. Police officers said all major militant groups, besides the BKI, had plans to kill Beant Singh.
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