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Centre stays hanging of Rajoana after mercy plea by SGPC

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Balwant Singh Rajoana
New Delhi, Mar 28: The hanging of Babbar Khalsa terrorist Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was sentenced to death for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, was stayed by the Centre following a mercy petition by top sikh religious body SGPC to President Pratibha Patil.

The Home Ministry, in a letter to the Punjab Government, stated that the execution of 44-year-old Rajoana, scheduled to be carried out on Mar 31 as per the Chandigarh Sessions Court order, has been stayed. The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee had moved the petition under Article 72 of the Constitution for grant of clemency to Rajoana.

"As per procedure regarding petitions for mercy in death sentence cases the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana is stayed till the order of the Supreme Court in the matter of Criminal Appeal No 2277/2011 and 1464/2011 or till the order of the President of India on the said mercy petition, whichever is later," the Home ministry communication said. The Home Ministry order came soon after Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal met President Patil and sought her intervention to secure clemency for Rajoana in the interest of peace and communal harmony in the state as also national interest.

The Centre's intervention had become necessary in view of the matter taking a political turn and wide-spread protests against the hanging all over the state. Punjab also witnessed a state-wide Bandh today against Rajoana's hanging on Saturday.

Chief Minister Badal, meanwhile, reiterated that peace and communal harmony would be maintained at all cost and warned all those trying to take advantage of the situation. "We assure the people of the nation that law and order will be maintained at any cost...Anyone who tries to disturb the peace and communal harmony in the state will be handled properly," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal also said, "We appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace. We will take strict action against anybody trying to take advantage of the situation." The hanging of Rajoana had taken a political turn with the ruling Akali Dal campaigning hard against his execution while its coalition partner BJP saying the law should take its own course. The Punjab Congress had been in favour of clemency.

PTI

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