Chandigarh: The Special CBI court of Additional Sessions Judge J. S. Sidhu is expected to pronounce decision regarding trial of Sikh political prisoner Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara in Punjab CM Beant Singh’s execution case. As per media reports, the court has fixed March 16 as court date for closing the final arguments after which the court is expected to pronounce decision on March 17. The trial is being held in a special court setup in Chandigarh Model Jail, Burail.
Expressing no faith in the Indian system Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara has refused to contest this case. He has taken responsibility for execution of former Punjab CM Beant Singh and declared that CM Beant Singh was executed out of existential concerns of the Sikh nation.
It is notable that Punjab CM Beant Singh had unleashed region of state-terror on civilian Sikh population after assuming office in 1992. The period of 1992-95 was marred by mass level atrocities on the civilian Sikh population when thousands were subjected to enforced disappearances, killed in fake/ staged encounters and were cremated as “unclaimed dead bodies”.
Beant Singh was executed by Sikh fighters on August 31, 1995. Execution of CM Beant Singh was a political act arising out of existential concerns of the Sikh panth.