Officials deputed for serving summons on witnesses

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 1

Following the orders of a local court, the city police have deputed three officials for serving summons on the witnesses in a mass suicide case in which five members of a family had committed suicide by consuming a poisonous substance in 2004.

There were reports that the witnesses in the case were getting threats and were being influenced.

The Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) has accused a former assistant sub-inspector of issuing threats and influencing the witnesses.

Taking a serious note of it, the local court ordered the police to depute an official so that the summons issued to the witnesses could be served on them. The police have also been asked to ensure their presence in the court for a statement. Acting on this, Police Commissioner SS Srivastava has appointed three persons.

ADGP Jasminder Singh and former Congress MLA Harjinder Thekedar had already recorded their statements in the court. Besides, the police department’s videographer had also appeared before the court and gave his statement.

Notably, former DIG Kultar Singh and DSP Hardev Singh, who were the Amritsar SSP and SHO of the Kotwali police station, respectively, at that time, were among the accused, who have been facing a trial. The court had also framed charges against them.

Local resident Hardeep Singh, his wife Romi, their children Imu and Sonu, and Hardeep’s mother had committed suicide by consuming poison in October 2004. In the suicide note, which was scribbling on a wall, they had accused their relatives and the then SSP, Kultar Singh, of extortion and criminal intimidation and wrote that it forced them to take the extreme step.

The suicides had come to light after a maid reached the house at Chowk Moni near the Golden Temple on October 31, 2004. The police had found writings on the wall of a room.

Mass suicide case

• Local resident Hardeep Singh, his wife Romi, their children Imu and Sonu, and Hardeep’s mother had committed suicide by consuming poison in October 2004.  
• In the suicide note, which was scribbled on a wall, they had accused their relatives and the then SSP, Kultar Singh, of extortion and criminal intimidation and wrote that it forced them to take the extreme step. 
• The suicides had come to light after a maid reached the house at Chowk Moni near the Golden Temple on October 31, 2004. The police had found writings on the wall of a room.