No Comparison With Afzal Guru

[Azaad]

Intensifying its drive to help death row convict Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today said the Sikh community across the globe wanted that Bhullar’s death sentence be converted into life imprisonment.

It said that it would augment the efforts of the Amritsar-based SGPC to help Bhullar. DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said a delegation of Sikhs would meet President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, urging that Bhullar’s death sentence be commuted.

“Sikhs across the globe have sent us requests that the gurdwara committee must make an appeal to the government to forgive Bhullar.”

Sarna said any comparison with Bhullar and Afzal Guru, the convict in Parliament attack case, was odious. Bhullar, he said, was an educated man who belonged to an educated family.

He said there was no evidence and no witnesses against Bhullar and had been convicted purely on the basis on confession made in police custody.

Sarna said Bhullar had been in jail for the past 17 years, which meant he had been behind bars for more time than a man sentenced to life imprisonment.

Also, the judges hearing the Bhullar case were not unanimous in their verdict. One of the three judges had ruled against the death sentence. “In the history of independent India, death sentence has never been given on a split judgment. Also, Bhullar is mentally unfit and is in a mental hospital at Shahdra.”

He said would again submit a mercy petition through the proper channels.

General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), Harvinder Singh Sarna, echoed similar sentiments.

Bhullar has been convicted by the Supreme Court for the attempt on the life of Maninderjit Singh Bitta, the then president of the All-India Youth Congress Committee, in 1993.

The DSGMC president said that Sikhs throughout the world would hold ardas

(prayer) in various gurdwaras on Sunday, praying that Bhullar’s death sentence be converted into life imprisonment.

The gurdwara committee has been fighting Bhullar’s case for the past nine years.

[Kharkooartsy]

i really hope bhai saab along with other innocent singhs that are in jails are released. its good to see the panth is united on saving bhai bhullar. like i said in another post bhai saab, like so many other singhs, has been in jail for so long we all need to unite and speak up now....not just save bhai sahib from death sentence but get bhai sahib released........help singhs by donating to SOPW

http://www.justgiving.com/sopw

help families of singhs by sponsering a singh http://www.neverforget84.com/prisoners/

Intensifying its drive to help death row convict Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today said the Sikh community across the globe wanted that Bhullar's death sentence be converted into life imprisonment.

It said that it would augment the efforts of the Amritsar-based SGPC to help Bhullar. DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna said a delegation of Sikhs would meet President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, urging that Bhullar's death sentence be commuted.

"Sikhs across the globe have sent us requests that the gurdwara committee must make an appeal to the government to forgive Bhullar."

Sarna said any comparison with Bhullar and Afzal Guru, the convict in Parliament attack case, was odious. Bhullar, he said, was an educated man who belonged to an educated family.

He said there was no evidence and no witnesses against Bhullar and had been convicted purely on the basis on confession made in police custody.

Sarna said Bhullar had been in jail for the past 17 years, which meant he had been behind bars for more time than a man sentenced to life imprisonment.

Also, the judges hearing the Bhullar case were not unanimous in their verdict. One of the three judges had ruled against the death sentence. "In the history of independent India, death sentence has never been given on a split judgment. Also, Bhullar is mentally unfit and is in a mental hospital at Shahdra."

He said would again submit a mercy petition through the proper channels.

General Secretary of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), Harvinder Singh Sarna, echoed similar sentiments.

Bhullar has been convicted by the Supreme Court for the attempt on the life of Maninderjit Singh Bitta, the then president of the All-India Youth Congress Committee, in 1993.

The DSGMC president said that Sikhs throughout the world would hold ardas

(prayer) in various gurdwaras on Sunday, praying that Bhullar's death sentence be converted into life imprisonment.

The gurdwara committee has been fighting Bhullar's case for the past nine years.