The accused -- Baljit Singh, Jaswant Singh, Balwinder Singh, Assistant Jail Superintendent Sitla Prashad Mishra, Constable Jaswinder Singh, "terrorist" Jagtar Singh Tara and Jagtar Singh Hawara, besides Rajput and Dhillon, were also charged with abetting "co-conspirator" Satnam Singh by supplying material and procuring money for purchasing RDX, detonators and wires for blowing up the jail.

Satnam Singh was, meanwhile, charged with deceiving the jail authorities by pretending to be Charanjit Singh, besides forging the visitor's register with the intention to cheat. He was also charged with "unlawfully" and "maliciously" keeping in his possession RDX for causing explosion at the jail. Balwinder Singh was charged with cheating by impersonation, besides forgery for the purpose of cheating and using as genuine a forged document.

Today, the accused, when confronted with the incriminating evidence against them, denied the allegations and claimed trial. The case will now come up for further hearing on January 14, 1998.

The alleged conspiracy was reportedly unearthed by the Chandigarh Police with Satnam Singh's arrest on June 11. According to the prosecution, PETN explosive, to be smuggled into the jail complex, was recovered from his possession. More explosives were recovered from his residence in Salimpur village in District Ropar on his alleged disclosure statement.

The explosive, the prosecution had added, was to be employed for blowing up a portion of the jail complex for enabling former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh's alleged assassins, Jagtar Singh Tara and Jagtar Singh Hawara to escape.

During the arguments on framing of charges Rajput had stated that the First Information Report in the case was inadmissible in evidence as it was lodged after a false story was concocted by the police.

He had contended that the FIR should have been registered on the basis of the letter dated May 22, 1995, addressed by the jail authorities to senior police officers.

The police was duty-bound to do the same as, according to Supreme Court rulings, the FIR has to be registered upon receiving information regarding the commission of a cognisable offence, he had stated.