
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu have both supported parole for Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in the 1995 assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, NDTV reports. The rare bipartisan backing came after Rajoana's elderly mother pleaded for her son's release for a few days. Bittu, Beant Singh's grandson, said justice for his grandfather and compassion for the convict's mother are separate issues.
Rajoana is serving a death sentence but has been in jail for over 25 years. The Punjab government recently recommended commutation of his death penalty. The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea from Rajoana's mother seeking parole for his sister's wedding.
Some are praising this as a humanitarian gesture, while others call it a dangerous precedent that trivialises a political assassination. The key test will be whether the convict returns after parole ends, and how the court weighs a mother's plea against the gravity of the crime. Is there truly a consistent standard for parole in terror-linked cases, or is this just politics wearing a compassionate mask?
Source: ndtv.com
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Ashin Xavier: interesting
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