Victim's mother alleges negligence, demands dismissal of four cops

Two days after a middle-aged neighbour allegedly murdered her teenaged daughter following a sexual assault, the grieving mother from Paras Estate has accused the city police of gross negligence in the investigation.

Speaking to the media, she said the suspension of ASI Mangat Ram was not enough and demanded the dismissal of all four policemen who failed to trace her daughter for over two hours despite clear evidence provided to them.

"My daughter told me at 4 pm on Saturday last that she was going to her friend Sehaj's place to invite her home. The daughter of accused Harminder Singh Rimpy was close to her and both of them used to spend good time at our place. Since I and my son were going to get the groceries, I told her that she could call in Sehaj at our place. Had I known that Sehaj and her mom were away to Ludhiana, I would not have allowed her to go there", said the mother.

"When we came back after some time, the doors were open, lights and TV were on. I kept looking for my daughter but she was nowhere to be found. My son went to Sehaj's place and Rimpy came out, saying she had not come and that Sehaj and her mother were away. Knowing that, we knocked every door and kept asking everyone about her. It was then that some neighbourer's checked CCTV cameras. We spotted our daughter going to the house of Rimpy, but not coming out for 20 minutes. We again went to the house of the accused but he kept turning us out. It was then that my son lodged a complaint with the police", she narrated her ordeal.

The victim's mother went on, "The first police team arrived, but instead of acting on the CCTV evidence, they spent 90 minutes rechecking footage and questioning neighbours. Later, two more cops came and recorded statements. “They were about to leave when I insisted they search Rimpy’s house. Inside, two policemen were sitting on his bed having tea. They hurriedly showed me cupboards and storerooms, claiming they had checked everything,” she said."

"I was not convinced and kept standing at the gates of the house of accused. I was too sure that she was in. It was later that some other youth came in. They checked the washroom near the entrance of the house and my daughter's body was lying in a bad state", the victim's mother kept crying inconsolably. The victim had lost her father a year and a half back.

"I want the harshest punishment for the accused. The way he strangulated my daughter, I want capital punishment for him too", she said. The accused was working as the driver of a school vehicle.

Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi and former MP Sushil Rinku also visited the place of the victim and assured her justice.