Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Punjab parties back parole for Beant Singh assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara
A man named Jagtar Singh Hawara was sent to jail a long time ago for a very serious crime: the assassination of Punjab's Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995.
He has been in prison for about 29 years without ever getting parole.
Now, Hawara's elderly mother is sick, and he wants to visit her.
Many politicians in Punjab, from different parties, are now asking the government to let him out for a short time, even though some of them used to oppose it.
Even the grandson of the man who was killed is supporting this request.
The Chief Minister of Punjab recommended that Hawara be allowed at least 10 days outside prison.
Some people support him because they see him as a symbol of Sikh pride, and a song about him went viral on social media.
But he still has many criminal cases registered against him, and the government only recently changed its mind about giving him parole.
The final decision now rests with the courts and the state government.
Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted in the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, has been backed for parole by politicians across AAP, Congress, SAD and BJP.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has recommended parole of at least 10 days for Hawara to meet his 83-year-old unwell mother, Narinder Kaur.
Beant Singh's grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu, now with the BJP, has also joined calls for Hawara's release on humanitarian grounds.
The AAP government opposed Hawara's parole as recently as March, citing 25 criminal cases registered against him; court proceedings in July showed 36 cases.
Hawara escaped Burail Jail in Chandigarh in January 2004 and was re-arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2005; his death sentence was commuted to life in 2010.
A viral song celebrating Hawara emerged during a Jantar Mantar protest, and around 150 panchayat resolutions in Fatehgarh Sahib villages support his parole.
- Who
- Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Beant's grandson Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Sikh organizations like the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha involved in the parole demand.
- What
- Political parties and groups in Punjab are backing Hawara's demand for parole on humanitarian grounds to meet his unwell mother; the CM has recommended at least 10 days of parole.
- When
- The parole demand has gained momentum ahead of Punjab Assembly elections, following a February gathering and recent High Court proceedings in June and July.
- Where
- Punjab; Hawara is lodged in Mandoli jail in Delhi, with the parole case heard by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- Why
- Hawara's 83-year-old mother Narinder Kaur is unwell and he reportedly has not been granted parole or remission in about 29 years of custody.
Supporters of parole
Opponents of parole
Humanitarian grounds
Supporters of parole
Hawara should get parole to meet his 83-year-old unwell mother after more than three decades; he has never been granted parole or remission in about 29 years of custody.
Opponents of parole
Hawara is a high-risk convicted militant with many criminal cases registered against him, and the police and Bureau of Investigation have not recommended parole.
Political symbolism
Supporters of parole
Hawara is celebrated as a figure of Sikh pride, with a viral song and panchayat resolutions supporting his release; the Panthic vote is seen as up for grabs ahead of elections.
Opponents of parole
Political backing for a convicted assassin of a chief minister marks a dramatic shift and raises concerns given his militant background with the Babbar Khalsa International and jail escape.
- Convicted person
- Jagtar Singh Hawara, born May 17, 1970, in Hawara village, Fatehgarh Sahib
- Crime
- Assassination of Punjab CM Beant Singh in a suicide bombing on August 31, 1995, which also killed bomber Dilawar Singh and 15 others
- Custody timeline
- Escaped Burail Jail, Chandigarh, in January 2004; re-arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2005; held in Tihar and later Mandoli jail
- Sentence
- Death sentence in 2007, commuted to life without release by the High Court in 2010
- Criminal cases
- 25 cases cited in March; 36 cases shown in High Court proceedings in July, with convictions in seven
- Parole recommendation
- Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann recommended at least 10 days of parole
- Who supported
- AAP, Congress, sections of SAD and BJP, plus Ravneet Singh Bittu and Sikh organizations such as Qaumi Insaaf Morcha
- Panchayat support
- Around 150 panchayats in Fatehgarh Sahib villages passed resolutions supporting parole