Released in Rocky murder case, 3 youths recall their ordeal
Aman Sood
Tribune News Service
Patiala, May 31
A day after their release in the murder case of Punjab-based gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh ‘Rocky’, three youths have narrated how a leisure trip to Himachal Pradesh turned into a nightmare for them. Arrested by the police, and later released with a clean chit, they said they were still recovering from the shock.
The Solan police had arrested three persons for Rocky’s murder. However, they refused to share further details on the arrest of the trio — Amarinder Singh and Devender Singh (both 25) of Nagri in Patiala and Bhupender Singh (29) of Faridkhera in Muktsar.
“We stayed in Solan on April 29 with a couple of other friends and returned to Chandigarh the next day in our vehicle,” they said, adding that they read about the murder in papers a few days later.
“On May 21, around 4 pm, when the three of us were off to Kullu for another holiday, a police team suddenly asked us to stop near the Aut police station and told us that we were wanted in a shooting case,” says Amarinder. He says none of them has any criminal record and to be arrested like that is something that shocked their parents and village residents as well.
“The police took us to Solan where we were grilled by them. They asked us about our tour and the weapon used in the crime. To all their queries, we had just one answer — we are clueless about any murder,” he says. “The police named us in the FIR and took us on police remand only to grill us further. We told them that we reached Solan late at night, stayed there till morning and returned to Chandigarh. However, the Himachal police kept asking us not to lie as they had video clippings. The period spent in the police lock-up was the worst phase of my life and I will never forget it,” says Amarinder.
Devinder has completed his Bachelor’s in hotel management. Bhupinder is settled with wife and children in Muktsar.
Rocky of Fazilka district was shot dead near Parwanoo on April 30.
