Akal Takht Acting Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami on Tuesday visited death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana at the Central Jail in Patiala, Punjab, in a meeting centred on his long-pending mercy petition and the broader cause of Sikh prisoners held across various jails.

What the Meeting Covered

The discussions are understood to have focused primarily on Rajoana's mercy petition, which has remained unresolved with the Centre since 2012, as well as the condition of Sikh detainees — commonly referred to as Bandi Singhs — lodged in jails across the country. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Dhami quoted Rajoana as saying: 'I am in high spirits, and I accept martyrdom over humiliation.'

Rajoana's Case and the Pending Petition

Balwant Singh Rajoana was sentenced to death for his role in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. The SGPC moved a mercy petition under Article 72 of the Constitution in March 2012, seeking commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment. That petition has remained pending with the Union government for over 13 years.

This month, Rajoana wrote directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging an early decision on the plea. In a letter dated 16 September, he noted that he had spent the past 30 years in prison and questioned why the government had yet to act. He also referenced a 2019 notification issued on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, stating it had not been implemented to date.

A Pattern of Delayed Action

This is not the first time Sikh religious bodies have pressed for resolution. In May 2025, Dhami had visited Rajoana at the same Patiala facility and publicly criticised the Centre for its inaction on the mercy plea. On that occasion, he also indicated that Rajoana had asked the SGPC to withdraw its petition and instead demand an immediate government decision — a signal of the convict's own frustration with the prolonged wait.

The SGPC has repeatedly raised the issue with the Union government, maintaining that the extended delay has caused significant distress to Rajoana and his supporters. This is the latest in a series of high-level interventions by Sikh religious institutions on behalf of prisoners whose cases they consider unresolved.

The Broader Bandi Singhs Issue

Tuesday's jail visit comes amid sustained efforts by Sikh religious organisations to secure the release or review of cases involving Sikh prisoners who have served lengthy sentences. The Bandi Singhs issue has been a recurring point of contention between Sikh bodies and successive Union governments, cutting across political party lines. Advocates argue that some of these prisoners have served terms far exceeding what courts have prescribed, while the government has not publicly explained the continued delay on petitions such as Rajoana's.

With the mercy petition now in its 13th year of pendency and direct appeals reaching the Prime Minister's office, pressure on the Centre to issue a formal decision — in either direction — is unlikely to ease.