As the campaign for the release of Sikh prisoners who have completed their jail tenure is far from over, the Punjab Police on Thursday once again claimed the absence of any such prisoner in the State’s jails.
State Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini, who had made the similar submissions less than two month ago, on Thursday another time maintained that no convict, whose sentence has been completed, is still lodged in State’s jails.
Saini said that the pre-mature release of the Sikh prisoners, as demanded by the Sikh activist Surat Singh Khalsa, who is observing indefinite fast, was not possible in view of the stay order issued by the Supreme Court.
Clarifying the “factual” position, Saini made it clear that out of 3,665 prisoners in the State sentenced to life imprisonment, 223 were eligible for pre-mature release in accordance with the rules but that was not possible due to SC orders.
He said the list submitted by Khalsa had the names of only two such prisoners whose release could be considered but the problem was the stay from the Supreme Court. The state government had already filed an appeal with the Apex Court on the issue.
Denying that hundreds of prisoners in Punjab jails were those who had completed their life term but were not being released, Saini said that none could be detained after completion of sentence.
He said that Khalsa had submitted a list of 82 prisoners, 25 of whom were facing trial and as such, could not be released at this stage.
The list includes Jagtar Singh Tara, Gurpreet Singh Gopi, Ramandip Singh Goldy and Ratandip Singh who had been extradited from other countries and “keeping in view their involvement in cases of terrorism, they could not be released. Maintaining amity and communal harmony was the first priority of the police,” he added.
He said that the list had the names of 16 prisoners who had not been convicted for life and would thus be released after completion of the sentence while details about six others were incomplete.
“The eight senior citizens are those who have been convicted in 1987 ludhiana bank robbery case. Then there are others who are lodged in jails outside Punjab. Three of those listed have already been released,” he said.
Khanna police chief RS Brar said that Khalsa was taking diet coke, desi ghee and salted lime water. His condition was deteriorating. Saini said that close watch was also being maintained on mobilisation of funds in Khalsa’s name in foreign countries.