M A I N   N E W S

Another notice to Jagir Kaur
Kamaljit seeks CBI probe
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 28 — Issuing notice to Shiromani gurdawra Parbandhak Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police Iqbal Singh and four others for May 15 on a petition by Harpreet Kaur’s “husband”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked them to “show cause as to why the matter should not be entrusted to the CBI for investigation when the high-ups in the state holding power were said to be involved in suppressing the truth”.

Taking up the petition by Kamaljit Singh, Mr Justice A.S. Garg of the High Court, however, did not issue notice “for the time being” to the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

Pronouncing the orders in open court, Mr Justice Garg observed: “Faced with the present situation, a court of justice cannot ignore all the facts and circumstances and is compelled to take some action in the matter to the extent that notice must go to the respondents.... The criminal justice system stands for justice to society at large as well as to the aggrieved person”.

Mr Justice Garg also observed: “Though in a case like the present one, it cannot be presumed that Harpreet Kaur was really murdered but the circumstances and the chain of events and the manner in which some of the respondents have been taking the situation cannot absolve themselves unilaterally.... The respondents concerned must come out with clean hands”.

Mr Justice Garg added: “If the victim’s life has been cut short, it must be revealed and the actual person who had committed the crime must face the rule of the law”.

Regarding Kamaljit Singh’s locus standi to file the petition, Mr Justice Garg observed: “It is claimed that the petitioner is the husband and the child in the womb of the deceased was his. He has thus locus standi and is entitled to get the matter investigated”.

Seeking directions for registering a case “against all those found responsible for causing Harpreet Kaur and her child’s death”, Mr Kamaljit Singh had yesterday asked for handing over the probe to an independent agency like the CBI. Directions for fixing responsibility on persons involved in the “disappearance of evidence” had also been sought.

He had alleged that “on account of political power and influence wielded by Bibi Jagir Kaur, the case relating to Harpreet Kaur and her child’s death would be hushed up and all those responsible for the same would not be touched”. He had further added that the facts and circumstances “clearly indicated that efforts were being made to hush up the case”.

He had stated that “neither any first information report was registered, nor any report was made to the police”. The cremation, he had added, was performed stealthily.

Describing the death as “unnatural”, he had stated that her body was not shown to the petitioner’s relatives, nor was the post-mortem conducted. The petitioner had also stated that Harpreet Kaur “was the last person to commit suicide”.

Harpreet Kaur was a major
From Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

JALANDHAR, April 28 — The birth certificate, issued by the Additional District Registrar, Births and Deaths, Kapurthala, a copy of which was obtained by TNS shows Rosy, daughter of Mrs Jagir Kaur and Mr Charanjit Singh, residents of Begowal, to have been born on June 25, 1981.

According to the certificate, Harpreet, alias Rosy, daughter of the SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, who died on April 21 under mysterious circumstances, was 18 years 10 months and 17 days old on the day she died.

If the claim by her lover Kamaljit and his parents is taken into consideration, she was an adult at the time of her pregnancy test in a Sector 39 private hospital in Chandigarh. According to her birth certificate, she was 18 years, seven months and 18 days old at that time.

According to her “school certificate”, however, as pointed out by supporters of the Bibi Harpreet had completed 17 years, nine months and 19 days when she died.

If the certificate issued by the Additional Registrar is correct, it means Bibi Jagir Kaur’s supporters, particularly Mr Jagir Singh have been lying to the people to save her.

Supporters of Bibi Jagir claim that Harpreet was a minor and, hence, action should be initiated against Kamaljit Singh under Section 376 of of the IPC for establishing physical ties with a minor.

Mr Jagir Singh, a confidant of the Bibi, who conducted the stage during the bhog ceremony of Harpreet at Bagowal yesterday, had declared in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib that the deceased was born in 1982 and was a complete 18 on July 2 this year.

Mr Partap Singh Advocate, and SGPC member and Mr Daljit Singh Cheema, another Akali leader, had also demanded registration of a case against Kamaljit Singh, alias Tinku, and his parents.

Badal rules out CBI probe
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, April 28 — Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, today categorically stated that no CBI inquiry was required into death of Harpreet Kaur, daughter of the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Cornered by mediapersons while coming out of the Central Library hall here today after participating in a Balmiki Samaj function, Mr Badal did not seem in the mood to seek the resignation of the SGPC President. “I cannot say anything about the resignation until the inquiry ordered by the state government is completed”, he said in response to a query.

“Every one has daughters and sisters and restraint should be exercised in making statements on delicate issues. Parents do what they think is best for their child,” he said.

HOSHIARPUR (FOC): The Chief Minister inaugurated the new building of Government Middle School constructed at a cost of Rs 40 lakh at Birampur village, 46 km from here, on Friday.