NEW DELHI, India—As announced earlier on September 30, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has today recommended the commutation of political Sikh prisoner Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana’s capital punishment to life imprisonment. The MHA has sent a letter to the Punjab government in this regard.
Confirming the development, Punjab’s Principal Secretary (Jails) Mr. R. Venkat Ratnam informed that a written communication from the MHA has been received and it has been forwarded to the Chandigarh administration as Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana is serving life sentence in a case related to Chandigarh.
R. Venkat Ratnam, Principal Secretary (Jails), Punjab, told The Hindu that they had received the communication from the MHA and forwarded it to the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
“It is up to the Chandigarh administration how they process the case and present it before the President of India. MHA wrote a letter to UT Chandigarh and endorsed a copy to us; we have forwarded the letter to them,” Mr. Ratnam said.
Based on the replies received by the Centre, the President can commute the death sentence under Article 72 of the Constitution.
It may be recalled here that the Indian government had taken a decision to grant special dispensation to nine Sikh prisoners from various jails in the country on the eve of the 550th Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
“In one case, a decision has been taken to commute the death sentence to life imprisonment, and in the remaining eight cases, the decision has been taken for the premature release of prisoners serving life and other sentences, through special remission,” the Ministry of Home Affairs had said.
