Mohali councillor’s mother ‘shoots’ self

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 11

Former district Youth Akali Dal president (urban) and councillor Harmanpreet Singh Prince’s mother Sukhjeet Kaur (55), aka Lovely Walia’s body was found in a pool of blood in her bedroom at their residence in Phase 3B1 here this afternoon. The body bore a bullet mark.

Family members claimed that she committed suicide as she was depressed due to her illness. “She shot herself with my .32-bore revolver, which was in her custody, but I am not aware at what time the incident occurred,” said Prince.

A four-member medical board, which conducted the postmortem, said the death appeared to have occurred between 9 pm and 10 pm yesterday. “The bullet was shot from point-blank range from the right side of the stomach,” said Dr Kuldeep Singh, a member of the board.

The incident came to light today at around 12.30 pm when the victim’s newly-wed daughter-in-law, Nancy (wife of Prince), entered Lovely Walia’s bedroom to wake her up and found her lying unconscious in her quilt.

“My mother entered her room at around 2.30 pm yesterday after attending a function of an acquaintance with me. After that she didn’t come out of her room. Today, first my wife thought she was in deep slumber as she used to take sleeping pills and anti-depression medicines. When she didn’t wake up, we got suspicious and when we pulled the quilt, we found blood on the bed,” said Prince.

Inspector Mahesh Saini, SHO of the Mataur police station, said the revolver and its holster were lying on the bed. “No suicide note was found from the spot,” said Saini.

Prince claimed that nobody in the family used to wake her up usually as his mother was short-tempered and dominating.

“She was having severe spine and knee problem. She also had a thyroid condition and was depressed. We don’t know what happened yesterday,” said a family member.

Prince said after his mother went to her room, he, along with his wife, left the house for Ambala. “We returned at midnight. Servants told me that she (my mother) didn’t come out of her room for dinner, but it was not an unusual thing,” said Prince.

At the time of the incident, Prince’s father Daljit Singh, a retired bank officer, and two servants were at home. Prince had got married last month.

A police official said it was strange that nobody in the house heard the gunshot and noticed foul smell.

The family members claimed that the air-conditioner of her bedroom was on and its door was shut so no smell was emanating from the room.

The police said they had initiated inquest proceedings in the case under Section 174 of the CrPC. 

“Investigations are on in the matter,” said the SHO. 

The body was handed over to the family members after the postmortem following which the cremation was held at the Balongi cremation ground.