Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 20

Shamsher Singh, a convict in the assassination of Punjab’s former chief minister Beant Singh, was today granted bail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, Dr Aman Inder Singh Sandhu.

Earlier Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha and Gurmeet Singh, two other convicts in the same case, were released from Chandigarh’s Model Burail jail on bail by the CJM court in compliance of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order.

A native of Ukai Jattan village in Rajpura of Patiala district, Shamsher was awarded life imprisonment by the Chandigarh’s Special CBI court on August 1, 2007, for Beant Singh’s assassination.

The CJM court has passed the order on a bail application filed by the convict.

Shamsher Singh filed the bail application in view of the order of Punjab and Haryana High Court passed in January 2023 to release all those convicts on regular bail who had completed their life sentences but the decision as regards to their permanent release is pending before competent authorities.

Earlier on July 20, 2023, the CJM court had fixed two months’ time to decide the recommendation for premature release of Shamsher Singh.

Shamsher Singh had already undergone imprisonment of 27 years 6 months and 18 days as on July 8, 2023. Court said a period of two months was given for deciding the recommendation for premature release of the convict. However, as per report of Superintendent, Model Jail, Chandigarh, the case is still under investigation.

The Court said that a perusal of High Court order shows that it applies to those cases where recommendation for release is made three months/six months prior to the person become eligible for such consideration. And if premature release consideration is not finalized within this period, the convict shall be released on bail pending such consideration on certain conditions mentioned in the order. In this case, as already stated, the convict had already become entitled for premature release. As such, in view of above directions passed by High Court, convict Shamsher Singh is admitted

to bail subject to furnishing bail bond in the sum of Rs 2 lakh with two sureties of the like amount.

An undertaking by the family member of convict be also furnished that in the event of premature release case of convict is rejected by the Government, he will surrender back to the concerned jail to undergo further imprisonment. Passport, if any, of the convict be also deposited with the Court and the convict will have to take prior permission of the Court if he intends to travel abroad. Since the convict is resident of Punjab, an undertaking be also furnished by a respectable of his locality like Sarpanch/Lamberdar or any other permanent resident of that village that till the time a final decision is taken, the convict will stay at his given native address and will surrender back, if so required.