AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Yesterday on 10th January 2015, Sikh Relief (SOPW) together with our legal experts held a follow up meeting with Punjab CM Badal and other high ranking officials regarding the release of Sikh political prisoners who have served the minimum mandatory sentence but are still waiting to be released.
In the detailed, high level meeting which started in the morning and went on into the afternoon, legal advisers on both sides sat and debated at length, the options and avenues available to expedite the release of those prisoners who have served their minimum sentences. The Punjab government has recently come under considerable pressure and criticism for their inaction on this issue from all quarters of society and Sikh Relief presented the government with facts and figures of those prisoners who fall within the States authority and are eligible for release.
The outcomes from the meeting were firstly, Gurdeep Singh Khaira’s paperwork for transfer to Punjab has been completed and returned to the Karnataka authorities. DIG of Punjab prisons, Lakhwinder Singh Jhakkar, who was also at the meeting, phoned Dr Arjun Malik Swamy, Superintendent of Gulbarga Jail in Karnataka, in our team’s presence and Dr Swamy said as soon as he has the file in hand, the transfer procedure will be underway. He stressed this will take up to one month to complete. Where Bhai Gurdeep Singh has languished in foreign prisons far from home for 25 years we are pleased to announce, we are on the last stage of bringing him back to Punjab. Not only will it be easier for family and friends to visit but he will be among fellow Punjabis. More importantly, once he sets foot back in Punjab, Sikh Relief will apply for his parole leave and his case for premature release will be stronger.
Secondly, it was established that the Supreme Court’s ruling of July 2014, halts a States power to release life term prisoners without it going to the Supreme Court. However, our legal team demanded that while an appeal against this ruling is pending, the authorities need to consider other options of reprieve.
Other matters discussed, were concerning parole leave for Sikh political prisoners. Again, our legal team referred to precedents set by other States, where parole and extensions to parole were granted to prisoners pending their premature release. Matters concerning parole, need to be ratified by various State departments, who also have the power to object or cancel a prisoners parole request. Sikh Relief urged the State to expedite all such applications for parole. These talks remain ongoing and we are hopeful of positive developments in the near future.
