HC permits Rajoana to attend brother's last rites amid strict security

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday allowed death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, imprisoned for his involvement in the 1995 assassination of Punjab’s former chief minister Beant Singh, to attend the bhog ceremony of his brother Kulwant Singh Rajoana.

Justice Gurvinder Singh Gill passed the order while referring to the significance of familial bonds even in the gravest circumstances.

“The death of a sibling... would put the entire family in a state of shock and grief,” the court observed, adding that the petitioner could be permitted to be with his family for a brief period in this moment of mourning.

The court directed the authorities to ensure Balwant Singh’s attendance at the ceremony scheduled on November 20, 2024, between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm at the gurdwara. Elaborate security arrangements were directed to be made, given the petitioner’s conviction in the case involving serious offences under the IPC and the Explosive Substances Act.

The petitioner’s counsel senior advocate P S Hundal with counsel Arshpreet Kaur submitted that similar relief had been granted previously in 2022 when the convict’s father passed away, during which no untoward incident occurred. The State confirmed that the veracity of the death and the ceremony’s details had been established through a verification report.

The court also noted that while Balwant Singh had been sentenced to death, the Government of India had recommended commuting his sentence to life imprisonment, with the matter pending final adjudication.

The court ordered the petitioner to be escorted from Central Jail, Patiala, to the venue under strict custody, ensuring he leaves by 2:00 pm, irrespective of whether the rituals conclude by then.

“Having regard to the seriousness of the offence... the State would be expected to make elaborate arrangements for security,” Justice Gill stated.