Beant Singh Assassination: What Happened On August 31, 1995?

On the evening of August 31, 1995, the Punjab-Haryana Civil Secretariat complex in Chandigarh was rocked by a powerful blast at around 5:10 PM.

Then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh was walking towards his bulletproof car when a suicide bomber approached him and detonated an explosive.

The blast severely damaged the vehicle and triggered chaos across the complex.

Beant Singh and 16 others, including security personnel and three commandos, were killed.

The assassination came against the backdrop of Punjab’s prolonged struggle with separatist violence and terrorism during the 1980s and 1990s.

The demand for Khalistan had fuelled violent activities, while the state witnessed periods of President’s Rule.

After the return of an elected government in 1992, Beant Singh became Chief Minister with the challenge of tackling militancy. His government, along with Punjab Police and security forces, launched extensive operations against separatist groups, resulting in several militants being killed or arrested.

Militant organisations held Beant Singh responsible for the crackdown. They further levelled allegations, including those of fake encounters, against his government.

The investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) linked the conspiracy to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Dilawar Singh Babbar, a Punjab Police constable, carried out the suicide attack, while fellow constable Balwant Singh Rajoana was involved.

The two reportedly decided by tossing a coin who would carry out the attack, with Dilawar Singh being chosen.

Court Proceedings

Several accused were subsequently named, including Jagtar Singh Hawara, Rajoana and Jagtar Singh Tara.

A special CBI court in Chandigarh sentenced Hawara and Rajoana to death on July 31, 2007.

Gurmeet Singh, Lakhwinder Singh and Shamsher Singh received life imprisonment, while Naseeb Singh was sentenced to 10 years.

In 2010, the Punjab and Haryana High Court commuted Hawara’s death sentence to life imprisonment, while Rajoana’s death sentence was upheld.

Tara was later sentenced to life imprisonment in a separate case.

In 2019, the Union Home Ministry proposed commuting Rajoana’s death sentence to life imprisonment. The proposal came on the occasion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 550th birth anniversary. Mercy petitions and other legal proceedings continued thereafter.

The assassination remains a significant episode in Punjab’s history, reflecting the violence, political tensions and security challenges of the era.