Chandigarh: Gujrat governor has reportedly clarified that Punjab government was eligible to grant premature release to Sikh political prisoner Bhai Lal Singh who was sentenced to undergo imprisonment for life by a Gujrat court but who has been serving the sentence in Maximum Security Jail in Nabha (Punjab).
Aam Aadmi Party leader and senior supreme court lawyer Advocate Harwinder Singh Phoolka told media that in a letter sent to him, the governor of Gujrat state said that it was within lawful jurisdiction to ‘take decision’ on Lal Singh’s case.
Advocate Phoolka said that Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was playing politics over the issue of Sikh political prisoners, who remains confined in various jails in India even after serving minimum mandatory terms of their sentences.
Lal Singh was convicted by the court of Sh. CK Butch, Designated Judge Ahmadabad Rural at Mirzapur (Gujrat) on 8 January 1997 under sections 3 and 5 of TADA Act, 120-B IPC, section 5 of Explosives Act and Section 25(1)(a) of Arms Act. He is facing imprisonment for life. He was arrested on 14 July 1992. He has spent 21 years in prison (including lawful remissions, excluding period of paroles). His jail record is clean and there is no post conviction crime. He has peacefully completed 20 paroles and there has never been any complaint of any form against him.
It is pertinent to note that the Punjab and Haryana High Court twice found that his case was a fit case for permanent release from Jail and issued directions to the Gujrat government to consider his case for permanent release from Jail on both occasions but he still remains behind the bars.
On the other hand Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa’s hunger strike entered 54th day today. While surviving only on water for last 54 days, Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa is demanding release of seven Sikh political prisoners namely: Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Sing, Shamsher Singh, Wariam Singh, Gurdeep Singh Khera, Lal Singh and Prof. Devender Pal Singh Bhullar. These political prisoners remains jailed in India even after completing minimum mandatory terms of their sentences.