Jagtar Singh Hawara moves HC for bail in 24-yr-old sedition case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 14

Convicted in Punjab’s then Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, Jagtar Singh Hawara today moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking anticipatory bail in a 24-year-old sedition case registered in Mohali district.

Taking up his petition filed against the state of Punjab through counsel Bhanu Pratap Singh, Justice Avneesh Jhingan of the High Court issued a notice of motion before fixing the case for further hearing on March 3.

Appearing before Justice Jhingan’s Bench, counsel Bhanu Partap Singh submitted that Hawara was seeking bail in the case registered on June 13, 1998, under Sections 124-A and 153-A of the IPC at the Sohana police station in Mohali district. Elaborating, he submitted that the petitioner came to know about the present case through a list issued by the Tihar Jail authorities. Hawara was not aware whether he was required by the police in the present FIR. Since the investigation was pending for long in the case, he was apprehending arrest.

He added that a copy of the FIR was neither being provided to the accused by the investigation agency, nor was it available online. Hawara, otherwise, was in custody for the past over 15 years.

“In case the petitioner is granted bail by the court in the present FIR, he will still not be released from custody as he is already undergoing life sentence in FIR No. 96 of 1995. Other cases are also pending against him. The purpose of filing this regular bail petition is to enable the petitioner to initiate his parole application in the above mentioned FIR No. 96 of 1995,” he added.

Former Chief Minister Beant Singh was killed in a blast outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat on August 31, 1995. The explosion killed 17 people, including believed-to-be human bomb Dilawar Singh. Hawara and co-convict Balwant Singh were awarded the death sentence by the trial court on July 31, 2007. Hawara escaped the gallows on October 12, 2010, after the death penalty awarded to him by the trial court was commuted to life. He was directed to remain behind bars till his last. Balwant Singh’s death sentence was upheld. —

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