Mohali QuarkCity engineer Sukhwinderjit Singh’s murder convicts – his young wife Neki Nalwa and her alleged paramour Himmat Singh Brandy – who were denied bail repeatedly and whose appeal against conviction is lying pending before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, have finally got pardon from the Punjab Governor.
“Considering their mercy petitions, the Governor of Punjab, while exercising powers under Article 161 of the Constitution, allows remission of the remaining sentence of the convicts and their release upon fulfilment in writing of the nine laid-down conditions,” Punjab Additional Chief Secretary, Home Affairs, Justice and Prisons, Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi wrote in separate pardon orders issued to this effect on May 22.
The development assumes significance as both Neki and Brandy were denied bail repeatedly and their appeals against conviction are lying pending and have been posted for next hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 24. Both were languishing behind bars since their arrest in December 2005 and were sentenced to life term in June 2012.
Ropar Jail Superintendent Gurpal Singh Saroa confirmed the receipt of pardon orders of both convicts, but their formal release orders were yet to be issued by the District Magistrate concerned. “They are still lodged in jail and will be freed only after receipt of the release orders,” Saroa told.
It was on the “good conduct” report sent by the Jail Superintendent on September 7, 2016, that the Governor accepted the mercy petitions of both convicts.
According to the pardon orders both convicts are required to tender an undertaking of maintaining peace, keeping their conduct good and producing themselves as and when asked for by the Punjab Government, besides furnishing a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and two surety bonds of the same amount.
Among the other conditions, the convicts are required to keep the District Magistrate and the SHO concerned informed about the complete address where they stay during the remaining period of their sentence; their pardon will be deemed withdrawn in case of their indulging in any illegal activity; they are required to pay the remaining amount of fine, if any, due before their release; and in case of any violation of the laid-down conditions, the amount of bonds will be confiscated in favour of the Punjab Government.
The pardon orders were issued subject to the fulfilment of conditions laid down in the Supreme Court order issued on July 23, 2015, and any other order thereafter issued in that case.
