The Superintendent of the Patiala Jail on Wednesday filed his reply in the contempt of court notice issued to him for not following the court’s orders regarding the hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana. Jail Superintendent Lakhwinder Singh Jakhar was accompanied by his counsel A S Grewal, Additional Advocate General (Punjab), while filing the reply in the Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Shalini S Nagpal.
In his reply, Jakhar’s tendered an unconditional and unqualified apology for any of the actions, which might be deemed as contempt of court and prayed that the apology be accepted. The reply also quoted several Supreme Court judgements including the Harbans versus State of Uttar Pradesh case and Articles 141 and 144 of the Constitution, to explain Jakhar’s stand.
The Court, while ordering the return of the death warrant to the Patiala Jail, had issued a notice to Jakhar on March 27 asking him to explain why proceedings under the Contempt of Court Act should not be initiated against him.
Rajoana was awarded death sentence by a CBI special court in July 2007 in the former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case. The Court had ordered the Patiala Jail authorities to hang him on March 31. On March 28, the Centre, however, stayed the hanging.
News Source: Indian Express
