Bhai Paramjeet Singh Bheora
Chandigarh (March 30, 2010): A special trial court on Tuesday sentensed Paramjit Singh Bheora to undergo imprisionment for life for his involvement in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh 14 years ago. Additional District and Sessions Judge R.K. Sondhi handed down the sentence to Bheora, who was arrested in 1997, after he was held guilty for criminal conspiracy and for his involvement in killing of Beant in a car blast on August 31, 1995 at the high-security Punjab civil secretariat complex.
However, counsel for Bheora, Arvind Thakur, told reporters outside the high security Burail jail where the trial was held in a makeshift court that they will challenge the verdict in the higher judiciary.
The CBI had booked nine persons in connection with the killing of the then chief minister outside Punjab and Haryana secretariat on August 31, 1995. Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara and Balwant Singh Rajoana were sentenced to capital punishment in 2007. The other accused Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Singh and Shamsher Singh were sentenced to imprisonment for life.
Beant Singh is known as “Butchar of Punjab”, who share this title with socalled KPS Gill, ex-head of Punjab Police. Both were beleived to be guilty for mass level human rights violations, murders, and extra-judicial killings.