M A I N   N E W S

Bibi’s bail bond accepted
Tribune News Service

PATIALA, FEB 13 — Former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur today appeared in the court of the Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Magistrate here for the first time after being accused of the murder of her daughter Harpreet Kaur by the CBI and filed a bail bond which was accepted and the case adjourned till February 24.

The arrival of the former SGPC chief in the Special CBI court complex in Chhoti Baradari here was heralded with unprecedented security checks during the course of which an anti-explosive team also combed the area. Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was accompanied by a diamond laden Dalwinder Kaur, who is also an accused and a small band of supporters, was apparently unruffled and was at her expansive best talking to her supporters and newsmen.

Special CBI Magistrate Jaspinder Singh Heyer today directed her to furnish a bail bond of Rs 25,000 and get regular bail from the trial court of the Sessions Judge in the case till February 24 which had also been fixed as the next date of hearing in the case. Earlier, the counsel for Bibi Jagir Kaur had filed an application for furnishing of bail bonds.

CBI senior counsel S.K. Saxena while contesting the application said the anticipatory bail granted to Jagir Kaur on which base her counsel was furnishing bail bonds did not apply now and that it was only for a limited period till the charge sheet had not been presented in the court. He said now that the charge sheet had been presented in the court the anticipatory bail granted by the High Court ceased to have any effect in the case. He said the former SGPC chief should apply for regular bail and should be sent to judicial custody.

The other accused in the case, including her associate Dalwinder Kaur, personal security officer Nishan Singh, landlord Paramjit Singh, maid Satya Devi and one of the two servants — Harvinder Kumar were present in the court. Earlier, the former SGPC chief had been granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on November 15 in the case.

Meanwhile a study of the charge sheet presented by the CBI in the court revealed that Jagir Kaur still stands accused of the murder of her daughter and the charge has not been dropped by the CBI. The charge sheet says “Bibi Jagir Kaur, Dalwinder Kaur, Paramjit Singh, Nishan Singh, Satya Devi, Harwinder Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar have committed offences punishable under Sections 120 (b)m 313, 344, 365, 302 and 201.” It says the accused Bibi Kaur also committed substantive offence under Sections 365,344 and 201.

Meanwhile the charge sheet accused Dalwinder Kaur of mixing and administering a lethal dose of poison to Harpreet which it states was punishable under Section 302 of the IPC. It says accused Paramjit Singh by pouring phenobarbitone into the vegetables consumed by the victim had also committed an offence punishable under Section 302/34.

The charge sheet says the former SGPC chief conspired to eliminate her daughter after she failed to persuade the latter to give up the idea of marrying Kamaljit Singh with whom she was romantically involved. It says Jagir Kaur conspired on April 14 with Paramjit Singh, Dalwinder Kaur, Nishan Singh and a doctor B.S. Sohal who was the Medical Officer at the Sant Baba Prem Singh dispensary at Begowal. It says Bibi asked Dr Sohal to suggest some poison to be used to eliminate her daughter.

The charge sheet says under the criminal conspiracy Harpreet was abducted from Chandigarh and kept in wrongful confinement following which the pregnancy of the latter was terminated. It said under the conspiracy it was also decided to eliminate Harpreet and destroy the evidence.

It also says that during inquiry by the local police Dr Tarsem Singh of Begowal was persuaded by Bibi Jagir Kaur to give a false statement claiming that he had visited Jasdil Mansion and that he had examined the deceased who was suffering from dehydration due to dysentry and vomiting and it was advised that she be taken to Ludhiana for a detailed check up.