Jagtar Singh Tara, who was a member of the militant group Babbar Khalsa International, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Saturday. A district court of Chandigarh passed the verdict after pronouncing him guilty in the case of the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh on Saturday. “The Court has passed the order for life imprisonment for him,” said Tara’s lawyer. However, earlier today while confessing his crime, Tara said, that he has no regrets killing former Punjab CM and that he would continue his fight to protect the interest of Sikhs in this country.
Jagtar said that Shaheed Udham Singh who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer was his inspiration to kill Beant Singh and further admitted that he bought the car after plotting Beant Singh’s murder and waited for the right opportunity to arrive. The pro-khalistani terrorist admitted his crime in a six-page letter submitted to court. In the letter, Tara admitted that he took inspiration of Sikh teachings, history and tradition. He learnt not to bear injustice and the situation at that time lead him to kill Beant Singh. Tara told to court, then innocent Sikh youths were brutally murdered and he had to act.
Beant Singh was killed in an explosion outside the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. Punjab police employee Dilawar Singh had acted as a human bomb in the incident. The explosion killed 17 people. Jagtar Singh Tara was charged with IPC section 302 (murder), IPC section 307 (attempt to murder), IPC section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and under Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act. The trial began in 1995, when he confessed for the first time of his involvement in the assassination of Beant Singh. In 2004, Tara, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjeet Singh Bheora escaped from prison but in 2006, Jagtar Singh Hawara was arrested from Patiala by Punjab Police.
Chandigarh police had initially arrested nine people while six others were later declared as proclaimed offenders. Jagtar Singh Tara and Balwant Singh Rajoana were given death sentences, Rajoana appealed to Punjab and Haryana High Court where his punishment was commuted to life sentences. Jagtar Singh is lodged in Patiala Jail while Rajoana is currently held in Tihar Jail.
