Murder in district courts: Punjab and Haryana High Court tells victim’s uncle to appear at police station

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

Just about three days after Harpreet K Singh, an Indian Civil Accounts Services officer, was shot dead allegedly by ex-cop Malvinder Singh Sidhu in the UT district courts complex, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the victim’s uncle to appear before the police station concerned on Wednesday.

His uncle was already before the court seeking bail in a case registered under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“If the petitioner fails to appear before the police station concerned tomorrow by 8 am, this bail shall stand cancelled,” Justice Anoop Chitkara asserted.

The order is unique as the bail in the corruption matter is now subject to his appearance before the police station in the other case. “It is clarified that this order is passed only to ensure the security of people and does not restrict the investigator from proceeding to investigate the FIR under Section 103(2) of the BNS, 2023, at Police Station, Sector 36, Chandigarh,” Justice Chitkara added.

Taking up the matter, Justice Chitkara observed the mother of the IAS officer allegedly shot by Sidhu in the district courts complex during mediation proceedings on August 3 was before the court. Her contention was that petitioner Kuldeep Singh – the victim’s real uncle – was hand in glove with Sidhu and was also present in the court concerned in the complex. There was serious apprehension of threat to her and family’s life and liberty at the hands of the petitioner.

The petitioner’s counsel, on the other hand, submitted that the allegations were false and baseless. The petitioner was not present in the court complex throughout the day and was being falsely named to settle scores.

After hearing counsel Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala for the applicant-mother and senior advocate RS Bains with advocate Mohan Singh Chauhan for the petitioner, Justice Chitkara directed the petitioner to remain present in the Sector 36 police station on Wednesday at 8 am. “If the investigator intends to arrest the petitioner in the FIR registered under Section 103(2) of the BNS, this order shall not come in their way,” the Bench clarified

The allegations against the petitioner, a driver in Food and Supply Department, in the corruption case was that he, along with co-accused Balbir Singh and AIG Malvinder Singh, in connivance with each other cheated various persons and extorted money from them.