Punjab CM Seeks Parole for Beant Singh Case Convict Jagtar Hawara on Humanitarian Grounds

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on August 8, 2026, requesting a 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, a life-convict in the 1995 assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh, to allow him to visit his ailing mother on humanitarian grounds.

Hawara, who is currently lodged in Delhi’s Mandoli prison as a member of Babbar Khalsa, seeks to reconnect with his octogenarian mother amidst her rapidly deteriorating health after 31 years of incarceration.

The Legal Framework Behind the Parole Appeal

According to reports from The Hindu, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed authorities last month to evaluate Hawara’s parole application in a time-bound manner. This judicial directive followed a petition designated as CRWP No. 3868/2026 filed by the convict. Governor Gulab Chand Kataria also serves as the Administrator of Chandigarh, placing the final administrative clearance directly within his purview alongside the recommendations of the Chandigarh Administration.

Humanitarian Grounds and Political Pressure

Chief Minister Mann emphasized in his correspondence that Hawara’s mother suffers from age-related health complications after more than three decades of separation. Assuring the Governor of absolute law-and-order control across the region, Mann underscored that the request stems purely from humanitarian obligations rather than political leniency.

Over a week prior to the Chief Minister’s letter, a delegation representing the Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit) met directly with Governor Kataria to demand intervention, arguing that basic filial obligations should apply regardless of the nature of the conviction.

Hawara was originally sentenced to death by a trial court for his role in the August 31, 1995, bomb blast at the entrance of the civil secretariat in Chandigarh. That blast claimed the lives of Beant Singh and 16 other individuals. The Punjab and Haryana High Court subsequently commuted the death sentence to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life.

Administrative Next Steps and Public Security

The final ruling from the Governor’s office remains pending.