Rajoana Turns Down Akal Takht Title

[Azaad]

Former CM Beant Singh's assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana today appealed to the Akal Takht to take back the tile of 'Zinda Shaheed' (living martyr) bestowed upon him yesterday and to "abolish the title forever".

But, he appreciated the decision of honouring Dilawar Singh as 'Kaumi Shaheed'.

Also, Rajoana's foster sister Kamaldeep Kaur alleged that a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) employee approached her claiming that if she agreed, the Jails Department would not hang her brother.

The claim, however, has been denied as "baseless" by both the Jails Department and the SGPC.

Kamaldeep claimed a Sikh who identified himself as head priest at the Golden Temple in Amritsar visited her house yesterday. "The priest named a senior jail official and said if I agree, the Jails Department will not hang Balwant….But, my brother is firm. He does not want anybody to make efforts to save him from the gallows." The priest said the SGPC will convey this to the official when he visits the Golden Temple on March 30," she said. She also said that Balwant had, in a letter to her (The Tribune has a copy), refused to accept the title.

Sources said the meeting between Kamaldeep and Balwant lasted around 10 minutes inside the Patiala Central Jail. The duo, said sources, whispered to each other and Balwant later handed over a two-page letter to her. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has denied any such meeting by an SGPC employee.