Beant Singh murder: Center opposes commutation of Balwant Singh Rajoana’s death sentence

Balwant Singh Rajoana. File | Photo credit: Akhilesh Kumar

The Center had opposed death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoan’s plea seeking commutation of the death sentence awarded to him in 1995 for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Also read | Beant Singh assassination: Supreme Court refuses interim relief to Rajoan

Rajoana, who has been in custody for more than 30 years, approached the Supreme Court over delays in deciding the pardon request, which has been pending with the president since 2012.

“We have objections to what they are demanding. Given the prevailing situation in the state (Punjab), it will not be appropriate to take any decision,” Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath.

Disagreeing with the Centre’s plea, the Bench, also comprising Justices Sandeep Mehta and Aparesh Kumar Singh, said it would proceed to hear the matter on its merits.

“Now that they are insisting on commuting their death sentence to life, which you are not opposed to, we will hear the matter on merits,” the Bench said.

The court posted the matter for hearing on October 28 after Mr. Nataraj sought time to prepare the case.

Rajoana, a Babbar Khalsa militant, was convicted for his role in the assassination of then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was killed in a suicide bombing outside the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The bomber, Dilawar Singh, and 17 others were also killed in the blast.

A special court awarded Rajoan’s death sentence in July 2007, which was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2010. His execution was set for 31 March 2012, but was postponed after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) filed a mercy petition on his behalf.

In 2019, the Union Home Ministry announced a decision to commute Rajoan’s death sentence as part of arrangements to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. With no subsequent decision on his request for clemency, Rajoana approached the Supreme Court in 2020 due to the long delay.

The Center and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) opposed his relief citing national security and the law and order situation in Punjab, among others. On 3 May 2023, the Supreme Court refused to commute his death sentence, leaving it to the competent authority to deal with his plea for mercy.

Rajoan moved the Supreme Court again in 2024 seeking commutation of his death sentence on the grounds that the long delay in deciding his mercy petition violated his right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Published – 7 October 2026 10:00 PM IST