Former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination convict Jagtar Singh Hawara on Wednesday declined the Delhi Prisons Department’s two-day custody parole offer to meet his ailing octogenarian mother, as he sought regular parole, said people familiar with the matter.
Custody parole is a short-term, supervised release of a convicted prisoner from jail. An armed police escort stays with the inmate the entire time as they attend urgent family events. Hawara is currently lodged in Central Jail, Mandoli.
Hawara seeks regular parole
The development comes hours after CM Bhagwant Mann met Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to push for a 10-day parole to Hawara, saying his government was willing to take full responsibility for maintaining the law and order situation during the release period.
“Based on the court’s directions and security review, top officials granted Hawara custody parole of two days. However, he denied it, saying he does not want police protection. He’s a high-risk prisoner and we have to deploy staff with him,” said a senior official posted at the Delhi Prisons Department headquarters in Tihar, on the condition of anonymity. “Top officials will take a final call whether he’ll be given custody parole or normal parole,” he added.
Parole conditions still being discussed
Till the filing of this report, meetings were on between Hawara and Mandoli jail officials to negotiate the parole conditions. Hawara’s counsel Maninder Singh, however, said they have not received any communication regarding parole from the authorities so far.
Earlier, after meeting Kataria, Mann said he was hopeful Hawara would be granted parole as the governor assured him that he would speak to the Union home secretary.
