The Tribune – Won’t back move seeking pardon for Rajoana: Congress

Beant Singh’s grandson Gurkirat, however, says no objection to clemency

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24. Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar today said law should be allowed to take its own course in former CM Beant Singh’s assassination case. Jakhar said the Congress would not be party to any resolution supporting clemency for co-assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is lodged at Patiala jail and is slated to be hanged on March 31.

Jakhar’s comment assumes significance in the light of Beant Singh’s grandson and Congress MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli’s statement that he had no objection in case the government decided to give clemency to Rajoana.

The CLP leader claimed the Beant Singh family had indicated to him at a recent meeting that they were also in favour of the law taking its own course in the matter. “They have not indicated their clemency stance, if any, to me even now,” he said.

However, Jakhar said, he would speak to the family again and take their opinion on the issue. “But, as the CLP leader, I am clear that the law of the land is supreme.”

He also said that the Akalis should answer what they considered as “disturbing peace” in the state. “Is going beyond the law protecting the peace of the state,” he asked. “The Congress will not support any resolution, which stood for bypassing the established laws.”

On the issue, Kotli said the family stood for peace and did not want the atmosphere of the state to be vitiated on any account. He said the family did not want hardliners to exploit the situation and had, therefore, come out with a statement that it did not have any objection to Rajoana being granted clemency. He said the statement was made keeping in mind that every action in the case would be taken within the ambit of the law of the land.

How things unfolded

January 14, 1996: Balwant arrested by the CBI

January 22: Balwant produced before Delhi Metropolitan Magistrate to record judicial confession

February 20: Balwant and accused Shamsher Singh move application, denying earlier confessional statement before the magistrate

December 24, 1997: Balwant files application narrating in detail the commission of offence; says earlier confession was correct and withdraws his application dated Feb 20, 1996

March 12, 1998: Balwant moves an application saying he does not want to contest the case

March 16: Amicus curiae SK Chopra discharged by the court and told not to represent Balwant

August 10, 2009: Balwant writes to the Chief Justice from the Burail Jail in Chandigarh

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120325/punjab.htm#2

The Tribune – Death warrant sent back to Chandigarh court again

Patiala jail superintendent says Punjab has no territorial jurisdiction in the matter

Sarbjit Dhaliwal, Tribune News Service. Chandigarh, March 24. Citing several Supreme Court judgments and other legal arguments, the superintendent of the Patiala Central Jail today returned the death warrant of Balwant Singh Rajoana to the court of the Additional Sessions Judge in Chandigarh again.

In a letter addressed to Additional Sessions Judge Shalini Singh Nagpal, the jail superintendent has stated that there were legal infirmities in the procedure followed and that Punjab had no territorial jurisdiction in the matter.

“It is not possible to execute the warrant of prisoner Balwant Singh, which was sent to the jail vide communication dated March 19, 2012,” says the superintendent’s letter to the court.

The jail authorities have said that “it is the bounden duty of the superintendent of jail to ensure that the procedure established by the law is meticulously followed before executing the death sentence”. In reference to this assertion, the jail authorities have cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in case of Harbans Singh versus State of UP.

The superintendent has referred to the high court rules and orders that when a death sentence is confirmed by the HC, the Sessions Judge would issue the warrant of execution for the sentence to the superintendent of jail to which the prisoner was originally committed. And in case the prisoner had been transferred to another jail, the superintendent to whom the warrant was issued shall return the warrant to the Sessions Judge and a revised warrant has to be issued to the superintendent of jail in which the prisoner is confined.

“The warrants for execution of sentence of death were erroneously issued at the first instance to the superintendent of Patiala Central Jail, whereas in accordance with the rules and orders should have been addressed to the superintendent of Burail Jail as the prisoner was originally committed to its custody on July 31, 2007″, states the superintendent in the letter.

It also says that there has been no jurisdiction in the law of the state of Punjab to execute the death sentence since the offence had taken place within the jurisdiction of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. The trial was also conducted in Chandigarh and the conviction and sentence was also passed by the Additional Sessions Judge there.

The letter also refers to the pending appeals of the co-accused Lakhwinder Singh Lakha and Jagtar Singh Hawara in the Supreme Court. “The SC has in several judgments extended the benefit of acquittal or lesser sentence to the other co-accused although they had not filed an appeal”, says the superintendent in the letter. “As such it is necessary to await the outcome of the matter in the SC before executing the death warrant.”

Balwant Singh, who has been sentenced to death in the late Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh murder case, had not filed any appeal in the court to seek the commutation of his sentence. He had also not filed any mercy petition.

The Rajoana case has been in the limelight for several days. Various Panthic organisations have built a pressure on the state government led by Parkash Singh Badal to take steps to save Rajoana from the gallows. There are apprehensions that the peace, which was restored after several years in the state by paying a heavy price, can be threatened.

Rajoana Hanging; The Arguments

There has been no jurisdiction in the law of the state of Punjab to execute the death sentence since the offence had taken place within the jurisdiction of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

The trial was also conducted in Chandigarh and the conviction and sentence was also passed by the Additional Sessions Judge there.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120325/main1.htm

The Asian Age – Badal: Govt will take legal steps

Chandigarh. 25 March 2012. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said his government would take all possible legal steps pertaining to death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana even as the SAD’s core committee would meet here on Sunday to discuss the issue threadbare.

“My government has been taking advice from legal experts. All possible legal steps will be initiated pertaining to Rajoana’s case,” he told reporters here and in Patiala.

On Friday, the Sikh clergy directed him and SGPC head Avtar Singh Makkar to make efforts to save Rajoana, a convict in the assassination of former chief minister Beant Singh, from the gallows.

The highest Sikh temporal body, the Akal Takht, had also directed the SGPC chief to meet the President and the Prime Minister to save Rajoana, who is scheduled to be hanged in Patiala central jail on March 31.

On seeking clemency for Rajoana, the chief minister said he had great faith and respect for the Akal Takht and his government would initiate all possible legal steps regarding Rajoana’s case. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/india/badal-govt-will-take-legal-steps-915

15 January 2012 – Winter Walk around Sint-Truiden

Sunday the 15th of January was a wonderful clear winter day and I decided that instead of sitting in the Gurdwara I should go for a long walk around the south side of Sint-Truiden

Halmaal, Leeuwerweg

Halmaalweg

Footpath leading to Tiensesteenweg roundabout 

Footpath leading to Tiensesteenweg roundabout
On the right shadow of ‘blue man’ taking photo

 Footpath leading to Tiensesteenweg roundabout

To see more Belgium (mostly Limburg) pictures :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12445197@N05/sets/72157622046344528/

More Belgium pictures to follow
Harjinder Singh
Man in Blue

The Tribune – SAD meeting today, BJP ‘not keen’ on Assembly resolution

Jangveer Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 24. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has called an emergency core committee meeting here tomorrow to decide on how to handle the Akal Takth’s “directive” to save ex-Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana from the gallows, even as it has roped in legal experts to find a way to delay the imminent hanging.

The dominant view emerging is that the state should try its utmost to ensure that Rajoana is not hanged in Punjab, as directed by the courts. This could involve contesting the jurisdiction of the case, which the SAD says is Chandigarh and not Punjab, and waiting for a decision on the pleas of the case co-accused.

Rajoana’s family could also be involved to find a solution. The family has said it respects the Akal Takth, indicating it stands by clemency for Rajoana. A last option would be bringing in a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha urging the Centre to grant clemency.

The government is also chalking out a strategy to counter hardliners who say that Rajoana be allowed to become a martyr as per his wishes. It also wants to ensure the situation does not get out of hand and is expected to ensure the March 28 bandh does not lead to any law and order problem.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said the state had sought legal opinion and would deliberate on the Akal Takth’s directive in its core committee meeting tomorrow. He said the government would attempt to ensure peace at all costs. He also praised Beant Singh’s family for saying that it did not have any objection to clemency for Rajoana and termed it a positive development.

Sources said the SAD was in a Catch-22 situation. It wanted to steer clear of the issue and had expected the Akal Takth to persuade Rajoana to seek clemency. With this option having failed, the state is now expected to tell the Centre that hanging Rajoana would create a law and order problem as the matter had acquired emotional overtones.

Revenue and Rehabilitation Minister Bikram Majithia and former hardliner-turned moderate Virsa Singh Valtoha have set the tone for tomorrow’s core committee meeting by urging Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal not to give a tool to the hardliners to exploit the situation.

Meanwhile, the BJP has also called a meeting of its core committee to discuss the Rajoana issue on Sunday. The BJP is said to be uncomfortable in passing a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha urging clemency for Rajoana and, therefore, wanted to take the views of its party legislators. The meeting would be presided over by senior Central leader Shanta Kumar.

Exploring the options

- Legal experts being roped in, could contest the case jurisdiction

- Resolution in Vidhan Sabha also under consideration

What lies ahead

- The dominant view emerging is that the state should try its utmost to ensure that Rajoana is not hanged in Punjab, as directed by the courts

- This could involve contesting the case jurisdiction, which the SAD says is Chandigarh and not Punjab, and waiting for a decision on the pleas of the case co-accused

- Rajoana’s family could also be involved as it has said that it respects the Akal Takth, indicating that it stands by clemency for Rajoana

- A last option would be bringing in a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha urging the Centre to grant clemency

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120325/punjab.htm#3

BBC News – Sri Lanka minister Mervyn Silva threatens journalists

By Charles Haviland

Colombo, 23 March 2012. A Sri Lankan cabinet minister has threatened violence against journalists and human rights activists who he says have been opposing the government.

Mervyn Silva also admitted forcing a journalist to flee two years ago.

The remarks come one day after the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution critical of the country’s rights record.

A police spokesman told the BBC that officers would now investigate Mr Silva’s remarks.

‘Break the limbs’  

Mr Silva’s comments also come amid an official campaign to denounce people described as traitors. Many of these include journalists and human rights activists.

Despite being involved in many controversial incidents over the years, Mervyn Silva is public relations minister.

In Friday’s remarks, which were filmed, the ardent Sinhalese nationalist warned that he would “break the limbs” of some named journalists and human rights workers whom he called “traitors”.

He also mentioned another journalist, Poddala Jayantha, who fled the country in late 2009 after being severely beaten up.

“I’m the one who chased Poddala Jayantha out of this country. I am telling you about this incident today. He went because of me,” Mervyn Silva said.

Police spokesman, Ajith Rohana, told the BBC that Mr Silva’s remarks – both his confession and his threats, as he put it – would now be investigated.

Although Sri Lanka’s media minister said on Thursday that he had instructed state television to stop a series of broadcasts denouncing alleged traitors, transmissions continued on Friday.

The incidents came as the United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, alleged that members of the Sri Lankan government delegation at the Human Rights Council session in Geneva had been intimidating human rights activists visiting from Colombo.

But threats have always come from both sides in the Sri Lankan conflict, and Ms Pillay’s office also said the Sri Lankan ambassador in Geneva had received an anonymous threatening letter, which police are looking into.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17491832