HC asks prison dept to prepare updated list of cases against convict in Beant Singh murder case

The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Department of Prisons, Delhi to prepare an updated list of the number of cases pending against Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

A single-judge bench of Justice Anup Jairam Bhambh issued the directions of a petition filed by Hawara seeking directions to verify the total number of cases pending against him and update his case details in the prison records and listed the matter for further hearing on December 11.

Hawara, an alleged top operative of banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International, through his counsel Mehmood Pracha had urged the bench to issue directions to the Department of Prison of Delhi government to update the prison records on the basis of the record supplied by him and to verify the total number of cases pending against him.

Appearing for the government, standing counsel for the criminal matters, advocate Rahul Mehra sought time from the court to file a reply on Hawara plea.

Hawara, in his plea, sought directions to the court to update his case details in the prison records (being their statutory duty) and said that as inaction on part of the respondents in the regard is preventing him from exercising his valuable legal rights such as parole, furlough or suspension of sentence pending appeal.

( With inputs from ANI )