Three convicted of car mechanic’s murder

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Chandigarh, July 19

A local court has convicted three persons in a six-year-old murder case of a car mechanic. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on July 23.

Those convicted are Khem Singh, alias Shanty, Jagdev Singh, alias Gaggi, both residents of Ludhiana district, and Gurdeep Singh of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. The court acquitted a co-accused in the case, Harbhajan Singh, alias Sukha.

On the complaint of the victim Mohammad Ali’s wife Neeta Dogra, a case was registered under Sections 365, 302, 201 34 of the IPC at the Maloya police station on April 12, 2018.

She had told the police that she married Ali in 2013 and was living with him in Jhujhar Nagar, Mohali. She stated that her husband ran a denting painting shop in Sector 48. On April 11, 2018, when she rang him up in the evening, he told her that he was on his way back home after purchasing some grocery items. When he did not reach home, she tried calling him up again but his mobile was switched off.

After some time, she and her neighbour searched for him and found his car abandoned near the Sector 39 grain market. There were groceries in the car.

Later, the police recovered Ali’s body near Siswan dam. The police suspected that Ali was murdered as Khem Singh had an affair with his wife Neeta. She used to reside with Khem Singh, but later returned to her husband.

The police said Khem Singh and others kidnapped Ali in their car from near the Sector 39 grain market roundabout near Maloya. They strangled him in their car and dumped the body in the bushes near Siswan dam.

After investigation, a challan was presented against the accused under Sections 302, 365 and 201, read with 34, of the IPC. Finding a prima facie case, charges were framed against the accused to which they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial .

While the counsel for the accused said they were falsely implicated, the Public Prosecutor said the prosecution had proved the case beyond a shadow of doubt.

After hearing of the arguments, the court held Khem Singh, Jagdev Singh and Gurdeep Singh guilty of the charges framed against them.