Book minister: Victim Balwinder Kaur's brother seeks Governor's intervention

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Ropar, October 25

Hardev Singh, brother of Assistant Professor Balwinder Kaur, who died by suicide, in a letter to the Governor sought his intervention for getting Education Minister booked and removed from his post after registering a case of abetment to suicide against him. On the other hand, relatives, along with 1158 APL Front members, continued their dharna for the third day today, refusing to cremate the body even after two days of its recovery from Sirhind Canal.

They also issued an ultimatum that they would not hold any talks over the issue with the police if it failed to resolve the issue till midnight. The police are not serious about taking action against the minister and are only using delaying tactics, said Ropar district BJP president Ajay Vir Singh Lalpura while sitting on the dharna.

In the evening, the police offered the protesters to get a meeting arranged with Ropar Inspector General of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar at the canal rest house. They, however, refused to leave the dharna site, saying that all negotiations would be held only in the open at the hospital in the presence of all protesters.

Following this, Ropar SSP Vivek Sheel Soni reached the spot and tried to convince them by assuring that the minister would be brought under the purview of investigation in the case.

On this, the relatives demanded a daily diary report (DDR) in this regard and gave an ultimatum for it till midnight, announcing that they would not hold talks with the police tomorrow onwards and would continue with the agitation.

Lalpura also demanded compensation for the victim’s family on a par with that of a government employee. Following that, the SSP left the spot, leaving the issue unresolved. Earlier, SAD leader and former MP Prem Singh Chandumajra also visited the dharna site.