Balwant Singh Rajoana writes to Amit Shah, questions delay in decision on mercy plea

Patiala, January 2

Beant Singh assassination convict Balwant Singh Rajoana today wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, questioning the “long” delay in decision on his mercy petition.

Rajoana is awaiting a decision by the Home Ministry on the appeal filed by the SGPC on his behalf, seeking the commutation of his death penalty.

In his letter, Rajoana said he had accepted the punishment given by court and there was no point in his to apologising for the “act”.

“I have been waiting for my punishment for the last 12 years. You are running away from deciding my fate for reasons best known to you. If rape convicts can be released and honoured and those who sexually harass woman wrestlers can be spared, I have done nothing wrong,” Rajoana said in the letter.

During the recently concluded Parliament session, SAD MP Harsimrat Badal had also raised the issue.

Rajoana said in the letter that he has had committed any crime and therefore there was no question of seeking mercy.

In May, the Supreme Court had refused to commute Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment and had asked the Centre to take a decision on his mercy plea.

Convicted of assassinating CM Beant Singh in 1995, Rajoana has been in jail for more than 27 years, awaiting his execution. He was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court. His mercy petition has been hanging fire for more than 11 years.— TNS

27 years in jail

Convicted of assassinating CM Beant Singh in 1995, Rajoana has been in jail for more than 27 years, awaiting his execution. He was sentenced to death in 2007 by a special court. His mercy petition has been hanging fire for more than 11 years.