Chandigarh, 19 December 2024- Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Chandigarh Home Secretary and other officials to respond to a plea filed by Paramjit Singh Bheora, one of the convicts in the assassination case of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.
Bheora, currently imprisoned in Burail Jail, seeks an order directing the administration to arrange for his medical treatment at PGIMER or any other premier health institution.
Bheora, who was convicted for his role in the 1995 assassination, claims he is suffering from severe physical ailments, including a persistent urine infection and a stomach disorder that prevents him from digesting food.
In his petition, Bheora underlined that despite multiple requests for appropriate medical treatment, the jail authorities have been administering only painkillers, leading to a further deterioration in his health condition.
The 50-year-old convict was sentenced to life imprisonment in March 2010 for his involvement in the plot to assassinate Beant Singh, who was killed in a car bomb explosion near the Punjab Civil Secretariat on August 31, 1995. The blast, which claimed the life of the then-chief minister and killed 17 others, is considered one of the most significant acts of violence during the insurgency period in Punjab.
According to Bheora’s petition, his health problems have become unbearable due to inadequate treatment within the jail. He has requested that he be transferred to a hospital with specialized medical facilities to receive better care and have his conditions properly treated.
Bheora was the leader of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a terrorist organization linked to several violent attacks aimed at destabilizing the Punjab region. He was a key member of the terror group that plotted and executed the assassination of Beant Singh, who was targeted because of his firm stance against the insurgency in the state. Bheora’s role in the assassination was crucial, as he masterminded the attack, which resulted in the tragic loss of life.
Besides Bheora, several other individuals were also convicted in connection with the assassination of Beant Singh. The other major convicts in the case include Jagtar Singh Hawara, Balwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Singh, and Shamsher Singh. Hawara, a prominent member of the Babbar Khalsa International, was accused of being the mastermind behind the entire operation. His actions have made him one of the most notorious militants involved in the assassination plot.
The convicted individuals were accused of participating in the conspiracy that included planting a bomb inside a car that was triggered remotely. The execution of Beant Singh was a symbolic attack by the insurgent factions seeking to reassert their presence and violence as a means of furthering their demands for an independent Sikh state.
Following the blast, investigations revealed that the BKI played an integral part in orchestrating the attack, with several operatives involved in laying the groundwork for the explosive device, securing the vehicle, and executing the final plan. The attack brought the state government into sharper focus over its handling of terrorism and security during the peak of Punjab’s insurgency phase.
The court’s order to seek a response from the Chandigarh administration has drawn attention not only to the specific treatment request of Bheora but also to larger concerns about the medical conditions of convicts who have been involved in politically charged and high-profile cases. Bheora’s case remains a significant example of how the legal and judicial system in India grapples with issues surrounding the treatment of individuals convicted for terrorism-related offenses.
In a related context, questions about the conditions in Indian prisons and the human rights of high-security inmates have surfaced. Critics often argue that prisoners convicted for offenses linked to national security should be treated under stringent security measures, but the provision of adequate healthcare remains an issue of ongoing debate.
