Hearing on Jagtar Singh Hawara's transfer to Punjab jail adjourned till February
Following apprehensions expressed by the intelligence agency IB regarding the impact on elections, the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on Jagtar Singh Hawara's transfer to February next year.
The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing on a petition seeking to transfer Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is serving a life sentence in the former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case, from Delhi's Tihar Jail to Punjab till February next year.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) submitted its report in court and opposed sending Hawara to Punjab. The intelligence agency stated that transferring Hawara to a Punjab jail could have a major impact on the upcoming assembly elections in the state. Calling Hawara a high-risk prisoner, the agency recommended not sending him to Punjab.
A bench of Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice P.B. Varale took note of the IB's report. Appearing for Hawara in court, Senior Advocate S. Muralidhar argued that if there are concerns due to elections, the matter could be heard after three months. Following this, the court adjourned the hearing to February.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Delhi Government, also opposed the transfer. Citing instructions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and an affidavit by the Punjab Government, she stated that given Hawara's past record, there remains a risk of deterioration in law and order and his escape.
On the other hand, the petition filed on behalf of Hawara stated that he is a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab and has no pending cases against him in Delhi. Therefore, he should be permitted to serve the remainder of his sentence in a Punjab jail.
Jagtar Singh Hawara was convicted in the August 31, 1995 bomb blast outside the Chandigarh Civil Secretariat, in which 17 people, including then-Chief Minister Beant Singh, were killed. The death sentence awarded by the trial court was commuted to life imprisonment by the High Court in 2010.
Nothing has yet been proved in court.
Key developments
- Supreme Court adjourns hearing on plea to transfer Jagtar Singh Hawara to Punjab jail till February
- IB tells court that Hawara's transfer could significantly impact Punjab elections
- Intelligence agency opposes moving Hawara to Punjab citing him as a high-risk category prisoner
- Hawara's counsel requested hearing after three months in view of the elections
