Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann seeks 10-day parole for Beant Singh assassin Hawara, cites mother’s ill health

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has requested 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, the man serving life for the 1995 assassination of then-Chief Minister Beant Singh. This is the first time a sitting Punjab chief minister has sought parole for a convict involved in a former CM's assassination. The 10-day parole is being sought to allow Hawara to be with his ailing mother, whose health has deteriorated due to old age.

The request was made in a letter to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who is also the Administrator of Chandigarh. The matter was brought to the Governor’s attention after a petition was filed by Hawara in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The high court had directed authorities to consider the plea in a timely manner. Hawara, associated with the Babbar Khalsa International, was appointed a Jathedar of the Akal Takht by a Sarbat Khalsa in 2015, a decision not recognized by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

The move by Mann carries political significance, as the demand for the release of "Bandi Singhs" (Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences but remain in jail) is being raised by Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), led by jailed MP Amritpal Singh.