Punjab CM Seeks Parole for Beant Singh Assassination Convict Hawara
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has requested Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to grant 10-day parole to Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted for the 1995 assassination of former CM Beant Singh. The request is based on humanitarian grounds due to Hawara's mother's deteriorating health.
Key takeaways
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has formally requested a 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara.
- Hawara is serving a life sentence for his conviction in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
- The parole request is based on humanitarian grounds, concerning the deteriorating health of Hawara's mother.
- The Punjab government will take responsibility for law and order if parole is granted, and the Governor's recommendation is required for the Delhi-based case.
- This development follows a previous instance where the Punjab government recommended rejecting Hawara's parole application.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to advocate for parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara. Hawara is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
What Happened
Chief Minister Mann formally requested the Governor's intervention to grant Jagtar Singh Hawara a 10-day parole. The appeal was made on humanitarian grounds, citing Hawara's mother's advanced age and critical health condition. Mann stated that the ailing mother has expressed a renewed hope of meeting her son after 31 years of his imprisonment.
The Chief Minister assured the Governor that the Punjab government would assume full responsibility for maintaining law and order during the potential parole period. He indicated that the Governor's recommendation is necessary as the case is currently being adjudicated in Delhi.
Background
Jagtar Singh Hawara has been incarcerated for 31 years. He was sentenced to death in 2007, a sentence later commuted to life imprisonment by the High Court in 2010. His conviction is linked to the August 31, 1995, bombing at the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh, which resulted in the deaths of Beant Singh and 16 other individuals.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had previously directed the Mandoli prison authorities in Delhi, where Hawara is held, to seek recommendations from the Chandigarh Administration regarding his parole application. This directive was issued last month. In an earlier development, the Punjab government had, in March of this year, recommended the rejection of Hawara's parole application to Tihar Jail authorities.
Key Facts
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on August 12, 2026.
- The meeting sought parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in the assassination of former CM Beant Singh.
- Mann requested a 10-day parole for Hawara on humanitarian grounds due to his mother's ill health.
- Hawara has been imprisoned for 31 years and is serving a life sentence.
- He was convicted in connection with the August 31, 1995, blast in Chandigarh that killed Beant Singh and 16 others.
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court directed Delhi prison authorities to decide on Hawara's parole application.
- The Punjab government previously recommended rejecting Hawara's parole application in March 2026.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
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