In order to attend his brother Kulwant Singh's antim ardas (last prayer), Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was found guilty of the murder of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, was released from prison on Wednesday. In his hamlet of Rajoana Kalan, Ludhiana, the Manji Sahib Gurdwara hosted the ceremony.
He was taken under strict security from Patiala Jail.
This is only the second time Rajoana has been allowed to leave prison in nearly 30 years. His first release was in January 2022 to attend his father’s last rites. For this occasion, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him parole from 11 am to 2 pm so he could attend the antim ardas for his brother.
Several prominent figures were present at the ceremony, including Giani Raghbir Singh, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib; Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC); and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia.
During his speech, Rajoana spoke about the sacrifices made by his family and the Sikh community. He highlighted the pain his siblings and the Sikh Panth had suffered, mentioning that his two brothers, Gurmeet Singh and Shamsher Singh, had also spent 30 years in prison for their involvement in various cases.
He expressed deep emotional ties to the land, describing it as blessed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s footsteps. Rajoana shared his journey of embracing his cause and credited his family and the Sikh community for their unwavering support throughout his imprisonment.
Rajoana also paid tribute to his sister, Kamaldeep Kaur, for her continuous fight for Sikh causes, and reflected on his past, remembering his time with Dilawar Singh, who carried out the suicide bombing to assassinate Beant Singh in 1995. Rajoana recalled their shared resolve and commitment to their mission.
Bikram Singh Majithia praised Rajoana for his courage and perseverance, calling him a true "Bandi Singh" (a Sikh prisoner of conscience). Majithia criticised the Central government for not addressing the plight of Sikh prisoners, many of whom have been in jail for decades without resolution of their cases.
Majithia also drew attention to the hardships faced by the families of Sikh prisoners, urging the community to support them. He noted that the SGPC had hired one of India’s top lawyers to defend Rajoana.
Giani Raghbir Singh criticised the disparity in parole policies, pointing out that while Rajoana received only three hours of parole, controversial figures like Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, convicted of serious crimes, are regularly granted parole.
He also condemned historical injustices against Sikhs, including the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Operation Blue Star, and fake encounters, calling for unity within the Sikh community to resist divisive forces.
Rajoana has been in prison since his conviction in 1995 and was sentenced to death in 2007. His clemency plea has been pending for over 12 years, despite repeated requests from Sikh organisations and leaders. The Supreme Court recently sent his plea to the President of India, asking for a decision within two weeks.
The court clarified that clemency decisions are solely in the hands of the executive branch, not the judiciary. Rajoana’s lawyers have asked for his death sentence to be changed to life imprisonment, citing the mental toll of his long wait for execution.
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