Death sentence in Beant case 'unfortunate': SGPC

Amritsar, Aug 3 (UNI) Reacting to the death sentence awarded to Babbar Khalsa terrorists Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh in the Beant Singh assassination case, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) termed the decision of the Special CBI Court as "unfortnate".

" The judge should have considered the circustances that led to the crime", SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar in a statement here today.

"Sikh sentiments had been hurt due to 'Operation Bluestar' and the massacre of a large nu,ber of members of the community in the anti-Sikh riots of 1984", the statement said and added that the two (terrorists) had no personel enmity against former chief minister Beant Singh. " They acted as their sentiments had been hurt", the statement said.

Advocating repealing of the death sentence, the statement said a number of countries had done away with capital punishment and India should follow suite. The statement also pointed out that so far no one responsible for the anti-Sikh had been punished.

UNI