Punjab first opposed Beant Singh assassian Hawara's parole, now seek his release

A Punjab Jail Department letter shows the state earlier opposed Jagtar Singh Hawara's parole application. The later humanitarian plea by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has renewed focus on the government's shift.

In Short

• A February 19 jail letter sent Hawara's parole plea with adverse remarks
• Punjab officials cited 25 criminal cases and police inputs against release
• The file referred to reports from SSP Fatehgarh Sahib and investigators

Four months after the Punjab government sought parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara on humanitarian grounds, an official Jail Department communication has revealed that the same government had earlier opposed his release, citing 25 criminal cases and adverse police recommendations.

A letter dated February 19, 2026, issued by the Punjab Department of Jails and accessed by India Today, shows that Hawara's parole application was forwarded to Tihar Jail authorities with an "unfavourable" recommendation.

The communication was issued by the Home-7 Branch of the Punjab Department of Jails and addressed to the Superintendent-II (PHQ), Tihar, Delhi. It referred to an earlier communication dated October 21, 2025, regarding Hawara's parole application.

25 CASES CITED IN PAROLE RECOMMENDATION

According to the letter, the Punjab government received information from the SSP Fatehgarh Sahib and the Director, Bureau of Investigation, that 25 criminal cases were registered against Hawara.

Both officers did not recommend granting him parole, the communication said.

"Keeping in view the above facts, the parole case of prisoner Jagtar Singh Hawara is being forwarded with an unfavourable recommendation," the Punjab Jail Department said.

The document makes clear that the recommendation at the time was based on the criminal cases registered against Hawara and the adverse reports from the police authorities.

MANN LATER SEEKS 10-DAY PAROLE

The position of the Punjab government subsequently changed.

Months after the February communication, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wrote to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria seeking 10-day parole for Hawara on humanitarian grounds.

Mann cited Hawara's ailing mother and said the parole was being sought to allow him to attend to and take care of her.

The contrasting communications have raised questions over what prompted the apparent shift in the Punjab government's position within a span of four months.

While the Jail Department had earlier relied on police reports and the 25 criminal cases to oppose parole, the Chief Minister later personally sought Hawara's release on humanitarian grounds.

POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF HAWARA'S RELEASE

Hawara's parole has political significance in Punjab, where the demand for the release of "Bandhi Sikhs" has been raised by the Shiromani Akali Dal and other political and Sikh organisations.

Hawara is serving a sentence in connection with the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. His release has remained among the demands raised by parties and groups advocating the release of Sikh prisoners.

The latest development also comes amid political speculation in Punjab over a possible alliance between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP. SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Friday, adding to the political backdrop surrounding the issue.

The February letter, however, predates the latest parole request and records a clear official position against Hawara's release at that point.

The subsequent request by the Chief Minister on humanitarian grounds has therefore brought the government's earlier parole recommendation back into focus.

- Ends
With inputs from Aman Bhardwaj