Faridkot: Key accused in dera head murder case dies in custody

Faridkot, September 10

Jarnail Dass, a key accused in the murder of Dayal Dass, head of a dera at Kot Sukhia village in the district, died at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital here today.

In judicial lock-up since September 2 after being arrested from Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, Jarnail Dass was admitted to the medical college late last night after he complained of difficulty in breathing in the jail. He was on the ventilator at the medical college and declared dead this evening.

Faced difficulty in breathing

• Jarnail Dass, arrested from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan in connection with the murder of Kot Sukhia dera head, had been in judicial lockup since September 2
• He was admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital after he complained of difficulty in breathing while in the jail; he died on Sunday evening

The four-year-old case of dera head murder had stirred many controversies over the past two months. Two police officials are already in the jail for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 20 lakh. Even an IGP, DIG, SP and DSP are in the dock for allegedly seeking bribe.

Dayal was shot by two shooters on November 7, 2019, allegedly to take control of the dera at Kot Sukhia village and hundreds of acres of land in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

During the investigation, the police landed in trouble after a DSP-rank official gave a clean chit to Jarnail in November 2021 and a DIG-rank official supported the findings.

There were allegations of taking Rs 1 crore from Jarnail Dass to give him a clean chit. After Gagan Dass, the complainant in the murder case, approached the HC against the clean chit to Jarnail Dass, a three-member committee was constituted to probe the allegations.

The committee members allegedly took Rs 20-lakh bribe from the complainant to rename Jarnail as an accused in the case.

A case was registered against the panel members, including an SP, DSP, SI of the Faridkot police and two others for taking Rs 20 lakh bribe. Recently, accused Malkeet Dass made a confessional statement in the Faridkot court, pointing a finger at the IGP who had constituted the three-member panel.