Chandigarh/ Ludhiana: Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, who maintains the list of Sikh political prisoners, has rejected some media reports which ‘wrongfully’ reported the Supreme Court of India’s judgement in Sikh political prisoner Bhai Lal Singh’s case to maintain that “ultras” could not avail benefits of parole or premature release. Notably, a news reported by a prominent English vernacular published from Chandigarh has reported that the SCI has ruled that “terrorists” (term used by the newspaper) ‘had no right to seek parole or premature release’.
Advo. Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said that the SCI has not passed any such order and only the Punjab and Haryana High Court order granting 3 months exceptional parole to Bhai Lal Singh was set-aside.
“The news reported by The Tribune creates an impression that the Supreme Court has ruled that no convict in TADA like laws could avail benefits of parole or premature release, which is totally incorrect”, said Advocate Manjhpur.
He said that the judgement was applicable only to specific order of Punjab and Haryana High Court in which the court had granted 3 months parole to Bhai Lal Singh while directing the state government of Gujarat to consider his plea for premature release within that time.
Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur maintained that there was nothing in the judgement which could suggest that persons convicted under TADA like laws could not avail benefits of parole or premature release.
“Even the SCI has granted the liberty to Bhai Lal Singh to submit a representation to the Centre with in eight weeks and directed the government to expeditiously consider it as per the law and the set guidelines”, he said, adding that Bhai Lal Singh’s representation in this regard is already pending before the central Home Ministry of India.
Advocate Manjhpur said that the Central government should allow the case of Bhai Lal Singh on the lines of case of Bhai Wariam Singh who was granted premature release by the Government of India few months back.
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READ FULL JUDGEMENT OF SCI in BHAI LAL SINGH’s Case:
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