CHANDIGARH: Gurmeet Singh, one of the six life convicts in former chief minister of Punjab Beant Singh’s assassination case, was released on bail from model jail Burail in Chandigarh after over 27 years since his arrest in 1995.
Chandigarh chief judicial magistrate Aman Inder Singh’s court ordered Gurmeet’s release order on bail after he furnished bail bonds of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties. Gurmeet’s advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur told TOI, “Burail jail superintendent made a statement before the CJM court that Gurmeet’s premature release petition is pending for consideration for over three months and final decision is yet to be taken by the Chandigarh administration.” Gurmeet’s mother gave an undertaking that he would live in Guru Nanak Nagar, Patiala and in case his pending premature release case is rejected, he would surrender back to the jail.
The Quami Insaaf Morcha(Community Justice Front) members have been sitting on dharna since January at the Mohali-Chandigarh border demanding release of nine Sikh prisoners or ‘Bandi Singhs’ from jails. Gurmeet becomes the second life convict to be released on bail in Beant Singh assassination case of August 31,1995. Another life convict in this case, Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha, was earlier released on bail from the model jail Burail on May 10. Gurmeet was awarded life imprisonment along with Lakha by the special CBI court Chandigarh on August 1, 2007. He had also been coming out from jail on parole from time-to-time like Lakha.
Gurmeet had moved the Punjab and Haryana high court last year challenging the Chandigarh administration’s order dated October 31, 2022 declining his case for grant of premature release. Thereafter, the high court had on February 20 set aside the Chandigarh administration’s order stating it “certainly cannot sustain being a non-speaking order” since it does not disclose any reason. The high court had directed the Chandigarh administration to consider the matter afresh after soliciting concerned sessions judge’s opinion preferably within three months.
Lakhwinder and Gurmeet got bail on the basis of the Punjab and Haryana high court order dated January 30 in a bunch of contempt of court petitions of various life convicts alleging violation of the high court directions by the authorities in deciding their premature release cases. The high court had directed Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh that in case the jail superintendent recommends the case three or six months prior to the date when the life convict becomes eligible for consideration to premature release and no final decision is taken by authorities despite lapse of this period, the chief judicial magistrate will call upon the family members of the life convict informing them that the convict will be released on bail subject to furnishing bail and surety bonds.
