Call recordings unravel Chhiddan village murder

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 19

Around 20 days after a person, Mukhtar Singh, was found dead allegedly due to electrocution in Chhiddan village, the police on Monday booked his wife and a man, said to be her paramour for “murdering” him.Those booked were identified as Mandeep Kaur and Iqbal Singh, both residents of Chhiddan village.

Their involvement came to light when Mukhtar Singh’s elder brother stumbled upon the call recordings of his mobile which was being used by his wife Mandeep Kaur after his death. A case under Sections 302, 201, 120-B and 34 of the IPC has been registered against them while raids are being conducted to nab them.

Complainant Sitara Singh said Mukhtar was married to Mandeep around seven years ago. He had returned from Dubai on October 18. On October 29, he went outside for some work and returned at around 3 pm. In the night, he went to sleep with his family. “At around 1 am, Mandeep Kaur started crying that Mukhtar had died of electrocution. We saw his body lying near the window of the room in the varandah. There was a wire near him but the joint from which the electrocution was said to have caused the death was at some distance. Next day, they cremated the body,” he said.

According to Sitara Singh, he took Mukhtar’s mobile from Mandeep for making a call on November 3. He opened a folder of the call recording and listened to the calls of Mandeep Kaur with Iqbal Singh. Both had talked at around 12 midnight when Mukhtar was killed. The calls were related to Mukhtar, he said.

Now, the complaint has been lodged with the Lopoke police. The police have started investigation. No arrest has been made so far.

The case

• Mukhtar Singh, resident of Chhiddan village, died on October 29. 
• His wife Mandeep Kaur claimed that electrocution had claimed his life following which the body was cremated next day.
• A few days later, deceased’s brother Sitara Singh demanded the former’s phone for making a call and stumbled upon call recordings which exposed relations between Mandeep Kaur with a villager, Iqbal Singh.
• Both had talked barely an hour before the death of Mukhtar Singh. Now, they are absconding.

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