12 Inmates In State Prisons Waiting For Execution Orders

Patiala: With the President’s office clearing two hangings in just 5 month period and 12 death row offenders locked in Punjab jails among those waiting for execution orders, the state administration requires pulling up its socks.

It still has no hangman on its rolls.

Death sentence offenders including Balwant Singh Rajoana, Saleem, Gurmukh Singh, Judge Singh Vikram Singh, Gurnayab Singh, Jasbir Singh, Jasbir Singh also known as Jaswinder, Suraj Ahluwalia, Resham Singh, Kulbir Singh, and Gurwail Singh have all registered mercy appeals.

A court in Hoshiarpur during September last year addressed the Patiala Jail Superintendent to make preparations to carry out the demise warrants of Vikram Singh Walia and Jasvir Singh.

Vikram Singh Walia and Jasvir Singh got convicted of abducting a Hoshiarpur gold-worker’s son, Abhi, for money and afterward killing him.

Beant Singh killer Balwant Singh Rajoana was given the death punishment by a Chandigarh court. However the jail functionaries denied hanging him.

Amid pressure for mercy for Rajoana, the Punjab CM and the Deputy CM met the President and forwarded a petition looking for mercy for Rajoana.

A jail functionary stated: “Last year the Jail Superintendent had refused to execute the court orders in the Rajoana case, citing technical reasons.

“But once the President clears the file for hanging, no such excuse will work.”