M A I N   N E W S

Nishan Singh surrenders  
Gets nine days' police remand 
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 4 — Nishan Singh, the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of the SGPC President,Bibi Jagir Kaur,a key “eyewitness” in the Harpreet Kaur death case, today surrendered before the CBI at its Headquarters here.

Nishan Singh, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Punjab Police, had been on the run ever since the CBI named him in the FIR for alleged criminal conspiracy and illegal confinement.

The well-built Punjab Police cop, wearing a blue patka and a pathani suit, surrendered before the CBI sleuths at 10 am,as per the undertaking given by him before the Punjab and Haryana High Court through his counsel yesterday.

Nishan Singh, who was taken into custody soon after his surrender by the CBI officials, was later produced before the Metropolitan Magistrate,Mr Gulshan Kumar, who remanded him in CBI custody till November 13.Defence counsel submitted before the court that Nishan Singh was not required by the CBI and the agency only wanted to 'harass' him.

The Metropolitan Magistrate while remanding the accused in nine days' police custody noted in his order that “the incriminating articles relevant to crime have to be recovered at the instance of Nishan Singh.”

The interrogation of Nishan Singh, sixth person to be arrested in the case by the CBI, was crucial for the investigator to tie up the loose ends in the case.

The FIR filed by the CBI under the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court says that the pregnancy of Harpreet Kaur, daughter of Jagir Kaur, was confirmed on February 12, 2000 by Dr (Mrs) Jyoti Rana of Rana Medical and Maternity Centre, Sector 39-B, Chandigarh.

However, Jagir Kaur was opposed to the marriage between Harpreet and Kamaljit Singh. Therefore, she, entered into a criminal conspiracy with Dalvinder Kaur, Paramjeet Singh, Nishan Singh and others to send her away from Chandigarh to Phagwara to avoid her meeting Kamaljeet Singh, to illegally detain her and cause her miscarriage with the knowledge that such a act was likely to cause her death, the FIR alleged.

It further states that the inquiry has further revealed that Dalvinder Kaur along with her driver,Harvinder Kumar,had taken Harpreet Kaur to her residence in Phagwara on the pretext of taking her to Patiala for shopping for her marriage.

Harpreet Kaur was compelled to stay at Phagwara against her wishes on March 19, 2000. Ms Satya, maid of Dalvinder Kaur gave tea to Harpreet Kaur and on consuming the same, the latter started feeling giddy and became unconscious, resulting in her abortion.

Harpreet Kaur continued to be kept illegally confined in the house of Dalvinder Kaur at Phagwara. ASI Nishan Singh and Satya, Harvinder Kumar, alias Binder, Sanjeev Kumar jumped out of a small window of the room and reached a place near Jalandhar, from where she contacted the petitioner Kamaljeet Singh and asked him to come and take her, the FIR said.

Kamaljeet Singh and his sister Manjeet Kaur took her to Sports School, Rai, Sonepat on April 8, where the three halted on April 9, at the house of Kulwinder Chauhan, mother of their friend,Ms Parmpreet, who was working as a Warden in the Sports School, it said. Kamaljeet Singh contacted his family members from Rai and learnt that the police officials had visited his house to make enquiries about his whereabouts, the FIR alleged.

On coming to know the same, Harpreet Kaur contacted her mother and protested against sending the police to the house of Kamaljeet Singh at Begowal.

However, on this, Jagir Kaur asked her to return to Phagwara and promised to perform their marriage after Baisakhi, the FIR said.

On this assurance from her mother, Harpreet Kaur, accompanied by Kamaljeet Singh and Manjeet Kaur, returned to Jasdil Mansion on April 10.

However, on that day,Paramjeet Singh on the pretext of dropping Kamaljeet Singh at the bus stand at Phagwara, took him and Ms Manjeet Kaur in his vehicle and dropped them at Begowal, it said.

Thereafter, Harpreet Kaur was again detained and confined at Jasdil Mansion and she was not allowed to have any contact, telephonically or otherwise,with Kamaljeet Singh or any other members of his family, it said.

On April 20, Harpreet Kaur was reported to have developed a state of acute dehydration due to vomiting and dysentry.

The enquiry has revealed that she was not given any medicine nor was she taken to any doctor. She allegedly died between 2am-2.30 am on the night of April 20and her dead body was hurriedlycremated the next morning without a post-mortem examination, with the intent of destroying evidence, the CBI’s FIR says.