CHANDIGARH: To the displeasure of Haryana government, Punjab governor Shivraj Patil has raked up the issue of Punjab’s claim over Chandigarh during his speech in the state assembly. Patil in speech has told the assembly that “Chandigarh and several other Punjabi-speaking areas have been kept out of the state and must be transferred back at the earliest.” Reacting sharply to Patil’s... 

The five Sikh high priests have decided to seek opinions of religious, social and political organisations. The five Sikh high priests, in a meeting at Akal Takht, on Tuesday decided to seek written suggestions from different religious, social and political organisations on the issue of hanging former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana. According to the court order,... 

The Superintendent of Central Jail refused to perform the duty of a hangman to hang Babbar Khalsa militant Balwant Singh Rajoana in the absence of a hangman. Superintendent of jails Rajan Kapur has conveyed his position to DGP jails Shashi Kant and has instead preferred to resign from his job rather than perform the duty of a hangman, official sources said here. According to the jail manual, in the... 

Patiala, Mar 14 (PTI) The execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a co-accused in the killing of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995, may be delayed as a trial in a local court is pending against him. Additional District and Session Judge, Chandigarh, Shalini Nagpal had last week issued a warrant of death sentence against Balwant Singh. According to the warrant, Balwant will be hanged on March... 

Almost two-and-a-half years after he was arrested, SAD (Panch Pardhani) chief Daljit Singh Bittu was on Tuesday released from the Central Jail here. Bittu, along with four others, was arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in Ludhiana on August 28, 2009. Talking to mediapersons, he said various cases were registered against him in Ludhiana, Mansa, Ropar and Sardulgarh after his arrest... 

NEW DELHI: The long pendency of mercy pleas of condemned prisoners, some for over a decade, was no ground for altering the decision taken on it by the President in exercise of her constitutional powers, the Union government has told the Supreme Court. The Centre’s stand came in response to a petition filed by Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, whose mercy plea has been rejected by the President after... 

Jalandhar: Stating that his country was against capital punishment in general, British Member Parliament (MP), Simon Hughes, a member of the British Liberal Democratic Parliamentary party, that is the part of ruling coalition in Britain advocated clemency for Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar on Sunday. On a personal visit to the Golden temple after meeting the Dalai Lama, Hughes said he would raise Bhullar’s... 

The President took just 13 days to reject the mercy petition of Devinder Singh Bhullar, reveals a reply from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to an RTI application. The petition, according to this communication, was received at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 13, 2011 and was rejected on May 25. The Supreme Court served a notice this week to the Union Government, asking it to explain the inordinate delay in disposing... 

The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to explain a delay of over eight years in deciding the mercy plea of terrorist Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast in New Delhi in September 1993 killing nine people. A bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi asked the Centre to file an affidavit by October 10, explaining the delay in deciding Bhullar’s mercy... 

The BJP today put its alliance partner (Shiromani Akali Dal) in a spot, stating it would not support the proposed assembly resolution demanding clemency for Devinderpal Singh Bhullar. BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar, when questioned on the issue during an interaction here, said there could be no compromise on the issue of terrorism and the law must take its own course in Bhullar’ case. Asked as to...