Not opposed to parole for Beant Singh murderers: Parkash Singh Badal

SISWAN: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said he was not averse to granting parole to those convicted in the assassination of former Chief Minister Beant Singh.

Six convicts, who are lodged in different jails of the country, including in Chandigarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pardesh and Karnataka, are serving life sentence in connection with Beant Singh's murder in 1995.

"We are clear on the issue of parole sought by the convicts lodged in different jails across the country, who have already completed their sentence," he told reporters here.

Badal said he had already taken up the matter with his counterparts in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat, and was hopeful that the state governments concerned would accede to his request.

He said that the UP Chief Minister had forwarded the case of parole of one person lodged there to the Governor for necessary action, as he was the final authority to take a call on this issue.

On the contention made by arrested drug peddler Jagdish Bhola that he would name a few state ministers involved in the racket if the probe was handed over to the CBI, Badal said what has stopped him (Bhola) from revealing the names to the state police, which is investigating the case.