CHANDIGARH—Various Sikh organizations, including Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), have stepped up efforts for the release of political prisoner, Bhai Daya Singh Lahoria.
Bhai Lahoria was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Jaipur court in 2004 for kidnapping Rajendra Mirdha, the son of senior Rajasthan Congress leader, Ram Niwas Mirdha. As per the FIR issued, he, along with two others, had kidnapped Rajendra Mirdha to pressure the Narasimha Rao government to release another political prisoner, Professor Devenderpal Singh Bhullar. Bhai Lahoria’s life sentence was later upheld by the Supreme Court, however the court’s verdict specified that Bhai Lahoria could be released after 20 years of imprisonment. He has now been in prison for more than 20 years.
Recently, Rajya Sabha member and senior Akali leader, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, wrote a letter to Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sri Vasundra Raje, informing him of an unnecessary delay in the release of Bhai Daya Singh Lahoria. Earlier, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar had also taken up the matter with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, asking him to release Bhai Daya Singh Lahoria. Similarly, DSGMC President Manjit Singh GK had also appealed to the Rajasthan government to release Bhai Daya Singh Lahoria due to his declining health.