Rajoana ends hunger strike after SGPC president’s assurance in writing

PATIALA: Balwant Singh Rajoana, the death row convict in former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination case, ended his hunger strike on Friday after getting assurance in writing from the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal regarding speeding up the clemency petition filed by him.
This was revealed by Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur on Friday evening who came out of the Patiala Central Jail along with the letter after meeting Rajoana.
Notably, Rajoana had gone on hunger strike on July 16 against the delay in decision by the Union home ministry on the mercy petition moved by SGPC in 2012. At the beginning of his hunger strike on Monday, Rajoana had turned down the request of SGPC members who had met him with a plea to end the strike. Rajoana then maintained that till the Union home ministry concluded the petition or the SGPC withdrew this mercy petition, he would remain on hunger strike.
Only a few hours before Kamaldeep Kaur met his brother Balwant Singh Rajoana, the SGPC President along with some other members had held a meeting with the convict for around 30 minutes in the jail and came out with assurance that Rajoana would end the hunger strike soon.
After meeting Rajoana, the SGPC president said that Rajoana was briefed about the meeting held by the SGPC and SAD (B) members with the Union home minister Rajnath Singh. Longowal added that Rajoana expressed his satisfaction over their recent meeting with the home minister over clemency petition filed by SGPC in 2012.
“We briefed Rajoana about SGPC delegation's meeting with the home minister Rajnath Singh to whom we have appealed to speed up the decision over the clemency petition filed by the SGPC in 2012. The home minister had assured us to do the same”, said Longowal.
Patiala jail superintendent Rajan Kapoor said, “The delegation of SGPC including its president was allowed to meet Rajoana and the meeting took place for around thirty minutes.” He added that the convict had ended his hunger strike.
Rajoana was sentenced by the CBI court and his execution was schedule for March 31, 2012 but on March 28, 2012 the SGCP filed a clemency plea without Rajoana's consent following which the home ministry had stayed the execution. He was sentenced for being part of conspiracy in which former CM Beant Singh and 16 others including NSG commandos, drivers and staff at VIP portico were killed in a suicide bomb attack. On August 31, 1995 the bomb was triggered by suicide bomber Dilawar Singh, while Rajoana, a constable then, was a back up human bomb to be used had Dilawar failed in the mission.