CHANDIGARH — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana to undergo his required ophthalmic treatment and cataract surgery at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, disposing of his plea seeking permission to be treated at a private facility in Patiala.
Rajoana, who has been incarcerated in Patiala Central Jail for nearly three decades in connection with the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, had approached the high court citing severe pain and vision complications caused by cataracts developing in both eyes. In his petition, he sought authorization to undergo surgical treatment at Dr. R.S. Randhawa Eye Hospital, a private healthcare facility in Patiala, stating that he was prepared to bear all medical expenses under necessary police security arrangements.
During the proceedings, the court took note of the fact that Rajoana had already undergone an official ophthalmic evaluation and preliminary medical check-up at PGIMER Chandigarh in January of this year. Questioning the rationale behind transferring the treatment to a private hospital when an apex premier medical institute had already initiated the clinical assessments, the high court ruled that the procedure must be carried out at PGIMER, formally disposing of the petition with directions to ensure adequate care at the premier government hospital.
