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Honour killing: Ludhiana man kills sister, her lover
Mohit Khanna/TNS

Maninderjit Singh, brother of victim, Harpreet Singh being consoled. Photo: Inderjeet Verma

Ludhiana, February 1
In an apparent case of honour killing, a son of a Congress worker allegedly killed his 25-year-old sister and her ‘lover’ by shooting them from a point blank range.

The incident took place at Hambran village, around 20 km from Ludhiana, early in the morning today when the accused, identified as Barjinder Singh, allegedly sprayed bullets on the ‘couple’ after “spotting them in a compromising position in his house.”

The victims have been identified as Navdeep Kaur, daughter of Teja Singh Gill, adviser in the District Congress Committee, and Harpreet Singh Johal, alias Happy (25), from Thrike village. The police said Teja Singh, his wife Shinder Kaur and younger son Harjinder Singh (18) had gone to visit a relative in Kishanpura village near Moga. Navdeep and her brother Barjinder were alone in the house.

Navdeep and Happy reportedly planned to meet. Happy entered the house at midnight by scaling the boundary wall.

At around 4:30 am, Barjinder woke up after his two pet dogs were barking continuously. He was surprised to see them caged.

Firearm in house raises brows

The presence of a revolver in the Congress leader’s house has raised many eyebrows. According to election commission guidelines, those having arms were directed to deposit them with the police. But Teja Singh, it is said, did not follow the guidelines.

Barjinder told the police that he suspected some thieves might have trespassed into the house. He immediately pulled out a .32 revolver, which is in his father’s name, and started inspecting the house.

It was then he spotted the couple in a compromising position in the drawing room. “In a fit of rage, he pumped four bullets into Happy’s body and then shot Navdeep in her temple,” said investigating officer Swarn Singh. A close aide of Teja Singh, who was sleeping in the office located outside the house, rushed to the crime site after hearing gunshots.

According to Hambran Chowki in charge Sarabjit Singh, after killing the duo, Barjinder reportedly informed his father and mother about the incident. Later, he surrendered before the police and confessed to the killings.

Teja Singh and other members of the family feigned ignorance and claimed that they had no clue about the “affair” going on between the boy and the girl.

“We were planning to marry off out daughter in Canada and had even zeroed down on two, three suitable boys for her,” claimed Teja.

However, the boy’s family had a different tale to tell. Happy’s father Bhupinder Singh Johal and his brother Maninder Singh told the police that the girl and the boy were in a relationship. Navdeep’s family was aware of it, claimed the duo.

“What was the need of killing my son. The family could have at least informed me. My son was well educated. He had done BCA, PGDCA and was about to leave for Canada. I had told the girl’s family to wait for a year for marriage. The girl’s family was against the marriage, as they are rich,” rued Bhupinder Singh.