Signature Campaign at BBSBEC, Fatehgarh Sahib
Fatehgarh Sahib (November 27, 2009): Students of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Engineering College today singed in large numbers on petitions seeking clemency for six victims of death penalty who represent the extreme cases and are currently confined in various jails while awaiting execution of the sentence awarded to them years ago. This campaign is conducted by BBSBEC Unit of Sikh Students Federation and was supervised by S. Makhan Singh Gandhuan, vice-President of SSF. “We have two petititions regarding which campaign is being conducted in various education insitutions. One petition seeks clemency for Prof. Devenderpal Singh Bhullar whose death punishment was confirmed by the Supreme Court in a ‘split-decision’ in 2002 and his petition under Article 72 of the Consitution is pending for review with the President of India since March 2003.” informed Makhan Singh, while talking to media persons. It is learnt that Bhullar is confined in Tihar Jail, New Delhi since his arrest in 1995 and prolonged confinement as well as delayed execution in itself is a ground for converting death sentence to imprisonment for life. Besides this SSF claims that there were certain prima facie defects in the decision of the court upon which current petition seeking transformation of sentence is based. ‘The only evidence against Devenderpal Singh Bhullar was an extra-judicial confession, which was altogether rejected by Justice M.B. Shah, who was heading three judges constitutional bench in the Supreme Court.’ says the Petition. It is worth notable that Justice Shah had acquitted Prof. Bhullar while two other Judges had confirmed the death sentence.
Second joint petition is for Dharampal, Piara Singh, Satnam Singh, Sarabjit Singh and Gurdev Singh. Dharampal is confined in Ambala Jial while others are confined in Amritsar Jails. These are five extreme cases where convicted persons have already undergone term of supposed life imprisonment and their mercy petitions are awaiting review of the President for more than a decade. The bases for seeking clemency for other persons are their delayed execution, prolonged confinement, physical, mental and social conditions of the convicts and their family.
‘This signature campaign is being conducted world over and a petition for signatures is also available online at Gopetition.com. WE are getting good response from students and SSF shall conduct this campaign in other institutions of higher education too and all signatures shall be sent to the office of President of India.’ informed Baljeet Singh, Secretary of SSF.
The campaign at Fatehgarh Sahib was conducted by Prabhjot Singh, Amarvir Singh, Maninder Singh, Karamjit Singh, Manjeet Singh and others under the leadership of SSF unit president, S. Sehbaz Singh.