Beant Singh murder convict gets 3-hour parole for kin's 'bhog'

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed to release Balwant Singh Rajoana , one of the convicts in former Punjab CM Beant Singh's assassination case, for three hours on Wednesday to attend the "bhog" of his brother.

The HC order said that he would be permitted to attend the ceremony in police custody on Wednesday from 11 am to 2 pm at Ludhiana's Rajoana Kalan village. "It goes without saying that death of a sibling would put the entire family in the state of shock and grief and under such circumstances, the petitioner can be extended the benefit of granting permission to attend the bhog ceremony of this brother so as to enable him to be with his family for a little while at this moment of grief," the HC has observed in its order.

The HC further directed the state authorities to make elaborate arrangements to take Rajoana from Patiala's Central Jail to Gurdwara Manji Sahib, Rajoana Kalan, Ludhiana, to attend the "bhog". "The petitioner (Rajoana) will not be allowed to stay at the venue beyond 2 pm whether the ceremonies are concluded by the said time or not and shall be brought back to the Central Jail so as to be confined there in time," the court has clarified.

Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill has passed the orders on an application filed by Rajoana. He had sought directions to permit him to attend the "bhog" of his brother Kulwant Singh Rajoana who died on November 4.

During the hearing of the case, the HC was informed that on an earlier occasion, the father of the petitioner had expired in 2022, and he was granted a similar relief by the HC on January 28, 2022, and that no untoward incident had taken place.

Responding to his plea, the Punjab government submitted a verification report from SHO concerned based on the statements of the sarpanch and others of the village, wherein they have categorically stated that brother of the petitioner had died on November 4 and that the last rites are to be performed on November 20.