Chandigarh: The parole application of Sikh political prisoner Paramjit Singh Bheora, currently lodged in Model Jail, Burail (Chandigarh) in connection with the Beant Singh case, is facing significant delays. Despite possessing all necessary administrative and police clearances, the application remains pending, highlighting that Paramjit Singh Bheora’s temporary release now depends entirely on the political will of the Punjab Government.
This critical update was provided by Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, head of Panjaab Lawyers. Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur actively maintains the comprehensive list of Sikh political prisoners and legally pursues their cases across various courts. According to his assessment, Paramjit Singh Bheora has served nearly 26 years of actual custody. When accounting for approximately five years of earned remission due to his long-standing record of good conduct, his total sentence served exceeds 31 years.
Administrative Clearances and Panchayat Support Secured
The institutional and administrative hurdles for the parole have already been cleared. The Superintendent of Model Jail, Burail, has officially recommended Paramjit Singh Bheora’s parole based on his exemplary conduct behind bars. To move the process forward, the jail administration has dispatched three separate reminders to the District Magistrate (DM) of Patiala, yet the application continues to stall at the state government level.
Bhai Paramjit Singh Bheora [File Photo]
While Paramjit Singh Bheora’s permanent residence is in Delhi and his ancestral village is Bheora in the Ropar district, he has formally requested to spend his parole at the residence of his sister and brother-in-law in village Bhatedi, located under the Rajpura police station in Patiala district.
This request carries strong grassroots backing. Six local village panchayats have passed resolutions in support of his release. Furthermore, the local police station and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) have reviewed the case and raised no objections, effectively clearing the path for his parole from a law-and-order perspective.
A Question of Political Will
Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur clarified that while Burail Jail falls under the jurisdiction of the Union Territory of Chandigarh (administered by the Central Government), the authority to grant this specific parole lies exclusively with the Punjab Government, as the requested parole destination is within Punjab’s borders.
Because all law enforcement and jail authorities have green-lit the request, Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur emphasized that the hold-up is no longer a legal or administrative issue, but rather a matter of the Punjab Government’s political will.
In his address, Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur called upon prominent Sikh political figures and Members of Parliament to intervene. He addressed leaders across party lines, including the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Malvinder Singh Kang and Vikramjit Singh Sahney, the BJP’s Satnam Singh Sandhu, as well as representatives of the Shiromani Akali Dal.
He called upon these leaders to take up the matter directly with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to authorize the parole, pointing out that there are absolutely no justifiable administrative grounds for its continued denial.
Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur concluded his update by noting his recent visit to Burail Jail, where he met with both Paramjit Singh Bheora and Jagtar Singh Tara, conveying their regards to the Sikh community and reaffirming his commitment to pursuing their legal rights.