Chandigarh, Mar 27: Babbar Khalsa member Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced to death in the 1995 assassination of then Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, is to hang as scheduled on March 31, a Chandigarh court ruled Tuesday as opposition began building up in some places in Punjab to protest the hanging.
 As per the court's orders, Rajoana has to be hanged Saturday (March 31) at 9 a.m. in the Patiala jail premises.
 The court returned the warrant of death of Rajoana to the Patiala jail authorities. The court also issued a showcause notice for contempt of court to Patiala prison jail superintendent L.S. Jakhar for returning the warrant of death earlier.
 The Patiala superintendent had Monday moved a petition in the court of additional district and sessions judge Shalini Singh Nagpal here seeking deferment of Rajoana's hanging.
 In the petition, the jail superintendent had said that the matter relating to two other terrorists, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Lakhwinder Singh, who were also convicted in the Beant Singh assassination case, was pending before the Supreme Court and Rajoana could not be hanged while this was pending.
 Meanwhile, the case seeking deferment of Rajoana's hanging would be taken up in the Punjab and Haryana High Court here Wednesday, a senior law officer of the Punjab government told media persons outside the district courts here. IANS

Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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