Court grants 30-day extension to cops for probe into Hari Nau murder case

The Additional District and Sessions Judge on Friday partially accepted the police's request for additional time to investigate the Hari Nau murder case. Seventeen persons, including Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha MP Amritpal Singh, are accused in the case.

While the police had sought a 90-day extension to conclude the investigation against all 17 accused in the case, the court allowed only 30 days and limited it to three accused.

These three accused — Bilal Ahmed, Guramardeep Singh, alias Pontu, and Arshdeep Singh, alias Jhandu — will complete 90 days in police and judicial custody on January 12. Under the law, if a chargesheet is not filed within 90 days, then the accused get right to default bail.

In its application in the court, the police cited challenges in completing the investigation. The police claimed that four of the 17 accused were staying in foreign countries. The court's decision is seen as a partial relief for the police as they continue to investigate the case. The police have arrested 12 of the 17 accused.

While the 90-day custody of three accused will complete on January 12, the remaining accused have been in custody for the past about 70 days.

On October 10 last year, three assailants had gunned down Hari Nau resident Gurpreet Singh.

The Khadoor Sahib MP has been booked along with 16 others under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case.

Earlier charged under the stringent National Security Act, the Khadoor Sahib MP is currently lodged in the Dibrugarh jail of Assam. Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist, has also been named in the case.

In the court, the police gave reasons for invoking the stringent provisions of UAPA in the case. It said as the conspiracy was hatched in foreign countries and the funds were sent to the shooters from Canada, the murder was aimed at creating unrest and undermining the security of the nation.