Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, has been granted parole by the Punjab-Haryana High Court. He has been allowed a three-hour parole to attend the last rites and prayer ceremony (Bhog and Antim Ardaas) for his brother Kulwant Singh Rajoana, scheduled for Wednesday in his village.
The High Court permitted Rajoana to participate in the ceremony under police custody from 11 AM to 2 PM. Currently lodged in Patiala Jail, Rajoana had filed a petition seeking temporary parole to attend the final rites of his brother, who passed away on November 14.
In his plea, Rajoana mentioned that his brother’s Bhog ceremony would take place on November 20 at the Manji Sahib Gurudwara in Rajona Kalan village, Ludhiana. He requested permission to attend the event, citing his inability to do so without court approval.
Rajoana’s initial application for parole, submitted to the Superintendent of Patiala Jail, had been rejected. Consequently, he approached the High Court seeking temporary relief to attend the ceremony.
This is not the first instance of such a request. In January 2022, the High Court had granted Rajoana permission to attend the Bhog and Antim Ardaas of his father under police custody. Drawing on this precedent, Rajoana sought similar parole for his brother’s last rites.
Balwant Singh Rajoana is serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh. Despite his conviction, he continues to seek temporary release for familial events, often requiring court intervention due to the sensitive nature of his case.
