Releasing terrorists convicted in charges like the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh is ruled out, Home Ministry officials said here today after Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal met Home Minister Rajnath Singh with the demand.
"There is no question of softening of stand in terror cases. No commitment has been given to Badal on releasing any prisoner. There is no question of releasing people like those who were convicted for killing Beant Singh," an official said.
The official said the government cannot release someone convicted for a crime like assassination of Beant Singh at a time when Thailand arrested a fugitive Sikh terrorist following India's persistent request.
Gurmeet Singh alias Jagtar "Tara" Singh, former member of the Babbar Khalsa International, was arrested in the eastern province of Chon Buri in Thailand on January 5. He had been convicted for life for his involvement in the assassination of Beant Singh along with 17 others in 1995 but he had escaped from a prison in Chandigarh.
In his letter to the Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Gujarat, Parkash Singh Badal had sought pre-mature release of 13 terrorists, including Lakhwinder Singh, Shamsher Singh and Gurmeet Singh, who are serving life sentence in connection with the assassination of Beant Singh.