Gangster Jaipal Bhullar’s family refuses to hand over body to admn

Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, June 19

A day after the Supreme Court ordered the state government to make necessary arrangements for the preservation and storage of slain gangster Jaipal Singh Bhullar’s body, the family today refused to hand it over to the district authorities.

Deputy Commissioner Gurpal Singh Chahal had ordered the Civil Surgeon to shift the body to the mortuary and make arrangements for its preservation and safety. He had also asked them to depute a team of senior doctors to transport the body under security cover.

However, when SDM Amit Gupta along with other officials went to the gangster’s house, father Bhupinder Singh refused to allow

them to take the body to the Civil Hospital mortuary.

The SDM tried to prevail upon the family, but they did not relent. The district administration later arranged a freezer to preserve the body at the house and got CCTV cameras installed there for round-the-clock surveillance. Besides, police force was deputed at the house.

Talking to mediapersons, Bhupinder said they refused to hand over the body as they did not trust the administration. He claimed the body could have been tampered with to “cover up” follies. “Hence, we wish to keep the body either at our home or send it directly to the PGIMER or AIIMS,” he said.

On his part, the SDM said it was not possible for them to shift the body to Chandigarh or Delhi hospitals without instructions from the higher authorities, adding they were just complying with the Supreme Court’s orders to preserve the body.

Jaipal along with an aide were killed in an encounter in Kolkata recently. His body was brought to Ferozepur on June 12, following which his father submitted an application to the DC for a fresh post-mortem examination, which was denied on the grounds of jurisdiction.

Later, Jaipal’s father moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, where his plea was dismissed. The family members took up the matter with the Supreme Court, which set aside the HC order and asked it to decide the petition on merit on Monday.