Patiala, November 19
Doctor-turned-approver Balwinder Singh Sohal while deposing in the Harpreet Kaur murder case today testified that Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Bibi Jagir Kaur’s daughter Harpreet had been murdered after an overdose of Ferobarbelon tablets had been mixed in a bowl of mixed vegetables served to her as lunch on April 20, 2000.
The doctor while deposing in the court of Additional Sessions Judge S.P. Bangarh, said he had been called to Jasdil Mansion in Phagwara by Paramjit Singh, a close confidant of Bibi Jagir Kaur. He said once there Paramjit asked him as what medicine could be used to kill someone and he recommended an overdose of Ferobarbelon.
The witness said he had told Paramjit that 14 tablets of Ferobarbelon of 60 milligram each were sufficient for the purpose he had in mind. Dr Sohal said then Paramjit and Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, also a confidant of the SGPC President, talked with the latter on the telephone and told her that they had completed all preparations to kill Harpreet. “I came to know from them that Bibi had given the go ahead”, he added.
Following this, Dr Sohal said the tablets were ground into a powder and mixed in a bowl of mixed vegetables which were served to Harpreet by Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi. He said this concoction was given to the girl at around 2.30 p.m. in the afternoon of the same day. He said after some time Paramjit rang up Bibi Jagir Kaur and told her that “the work had been done”. He said he had then checked Harpreet’s pulse and formally announced her death. The case will come up for hearing now on January 3 and 4.
Meanwhile, there were tense moments in the district court complex with workers of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) arriving in strength to show black flags and placards to the SGPC president. The protesters, who were led by party’s general secretary Harjinder Singh Jakhu and Patiala District President Harbhajan Singh Kashmiri, shouted slogans against the SGPC chief after they were prevented from entering the court complex. Mr Jakhu while talking to newsmen questioned the presence of a large number of SGPC employees in the court complex.
Bibi Jagir Kaur when questioned on this charge, first said the employees had come on their own as she was their president. However, she had no answer when asked why they were not performing their duties. Earlier, the SGPC president entered the court complex from the back gate because of the presence of Mann dal workers in front of the court. The district police had posted more than 150 personnel in the court complex in view of the last protest by workers of the Mann dal which had led to a free-for-all and beating up of Mann supporters by supporters of the Bibi.
