Ropar, February 17
After three years, finally three persons were today sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Gurcharan Singh, founder-chairman of the trust running the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), Bhaddal, by the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Gobinder Singh.
The convicts for the life term include the former trust member Bakshish Singh Randhawa, his nephew Satbir Singh, and Rachpal Singh.
Gurcharan Singh was stabbed to death by Satbir Singh, and Rachpal Singh on June 21, 2003 in Phase XI, Mohali when Gurcharan Singh along with his wife Kulwinder were walking in a park near their house in the morning. He was attacked with the dagger near the park gate.
Gurcharan Singh had sustained deep injuries on his neck and chest. The attackers had escaped from the spot on scooter.
During the police investigation it surfaced that the motive for the murder was the taking over the chairmanship of the Kandi Trust controlling the IET Bhaddal set up in May 1998 in Ropar. When in 2002 Gurcharan Singh was again elected as the chairman of trust, it led to rivalry between Gurcharan Singh and Randhawa.
Randhawa had even threatened the daughter of Gurcharan Singh who was then a student of the college with dire consequences.
Later, Bakshish Singh Randhawa, who wanted to become the chairman of trust, had hired Satbir Singh, and Rachpal Singh to kill Gurcharan Singh. Randhawa along with his wife Hardev Kaur gone to Pakistan to participate in a religious ceremony when the murder was committed.
The three accused were in custody after their arrest in the case.
Ms Kulwinder Kaur, now chairman of the trust, was the complainant and an eyewitness of the case.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr Gobinder Singh, awarded life term to Randhawa under
Section 302 read with 120-B of the IPC and a fine of Rs 5,000. In case of default of fine, the accused has to under go three months more rigorous imprisonment.While Satbir Singh and Rachpal Singh were sentenced to life term in 302 IPC and also in 120-B IPC separately.
They were also fined Rs 1000 in a case of default of fine the two accused have to undergo one more month rigorous imprisonment.
After the verdict in the case, Kulwinder Kaur, the chairman of the trust who came here said that she would file an appeal in the high court to seek death penalty for the three accused. She said it was a great relief that her husband’s killers had been punished.
While claiming to be innocent, Satbir Singh while coming out of the court, said he would appeal in the high court against the court order.
