Hawara committee demands release of Sikh prisoners

Tribune News Service

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Patiala, March 17

Demanding the release of Sikh prisoners, the Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee today held a protest outside the Nabha Maximum Security Jail here.

The five-member committee, constituted by Sarbat Khalsa, staged a sit-in outside the jail for three hours. Members of the committee said there were many Sikh prisoners, who had already completed their minimum term in jail, but were not released. They said they had protested in front of the Amritsar jail and Burail Jail, Chandigarh, in the past over the same demand and the Sunday protest was part of their continuation of series of protests.

The protesters claimed that there were 18 Sikh prisoners lodged in Punjab jails, while three were outside Punjab jails, who had completed their sentences, but were still not released. They said, “Generally, convicts serving life term are released on the basis of their good behaviour after an imprisonment of 10, 12 and 14 years, but the Sikh prisoners were not released even after completing 24, 27 and 30 years of jail term.

Baljinder Singh, a member of the committee, said, “We are protesting against the discriminatory behaviour of the judicial system and the governments that had not released the Sikh prisoners even after they had completed their jail terms.