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Bar council comes to the aid of battered widow
Tribune News Service

Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana Chairman C M Munjal (right) hands over room keys to Ms Satwant Kaur and Ms Beant Kaur (left) after offering them free board and lodging at the council's complex in Chandigarh on Saturday. — Tribune photo by Manoj Mahajan

Chandigarh, November 13
The Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana today offered shelter and legal aid to India's first woman pilot, Ms Beant Kaur, and her younger sister, Ms Satwant Kaur, who were allegedly tortured by their nephew and had all their property, jewellery and money taken away from them.

Addressing media persons here today, the council's chairman, Mr C M Munjal said that free board and lodgings had been arranged for them at the Bar Council's complex in Sector 37 here, where they can stay as long as they desired. A room has been allotted to them in which they moved today afternoon.

Ms Beant Kaur is the widow of Air Vice-Marshal Harjinder Singh, the IAF's first Indian technical officer. A pilot as well as an engineer, he was Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh and IAF's legend, Baba Mehar Singh's compatriot. Instrumental in the indigenous production of the Avro transporters in India, he retired as AOC-in-C of the Maintenance Command in 1964 and then served as technical adviser to Punjab and Haryana Governments on a token salary of just Re 1 per annum.

Mr Munjal said that the Bar Council would also provide free legal aid to the two sisters to enable them to fight their case and claim what was rightfully theirs. Air Marshal Harjinder Singh's Sector 3 house in which the two women had been "confined" for the past few years, has now been allegedly occupied by their nephew who had been staying with Ms Beat Kaur since he was about four years' old.

Their nephew, Col M S Bains (retd) had been booked by the police earlier this week, but has been granted anticipatory bail by a local court. Accusing the police of dilly-dallying over the matter, Ms Satwant Kaur said that though the police had visited the house earlier, they had not recorded her statements.

Mr Munjal said that it was his understanding that the FIR lodged by the police was very weak and that Bar Council members would review it and have the requisite IPC sections added to it.

Recounting their harrowing experience, where they were allegedly threatened and beaten by their nephew and his wife, the two women also appealed to the UT Administration as well as the police to ensure their safety and well-being.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Parminder Singh, said that the matter had also been taken up with the Punjab Government as Air Marshal Harjinder Singh had contributed a lot to the state.