M A I N   N E W S

She visited dera before jail, courtesy police
Aman Sood/TNS

Bibi Jagir Kaur being taken into judicial custody. Tribune file photo

Patiala, April 4
The role of certain police officers who escorted former SGPC chief and former Cabinet minister Bibi Jagir Kaur to the Kapurthala jail on March 30 has come under the scanner.

There are reports that the police team took her to her Begowal dera before taking her to jail.

Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill has said that an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.

The police team entrusted with the duty of escorting Bibi Jagir Kaur to the Kapurthala jail on that day was headed by ASI Gurmukh Singh.

The team that left Patiala around 6 pm did not reach the jail till 11.50 pm despite the fact that the distance from Patiala to Kapurthala is not more than four hours.

Reports suggest that Jagir Kaur travelled by a private air-conditioned SUV from Patiala to the jail.

The escorting police party took her to the dera at Begowal around 10.50 pm before leaving her at the Kapurthala jail.

“She met supporters and issued some instructions to officials at the dera. She stayed there for around an hour.”

Jail Department officials confirmed that the register kept at the jail showed that Bibi Jagir Kaur reached the jail around midnight.

Senior police officials were reportedly told by ASI Gurmukh Singh that the former minister was straightway taken to the jail. Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill said he would order an inquiry into the incident.

If found guilty, the ASI concerned would have to face the music, he added.

“It was the responsibility of Gurmukh Singh to escort the prisoner to the jail,” he said.

A complaint in this regard has also been submitted to the Governor by former Bholath MLA Sukhpal Singh.

Already a complaint by mediapersons is pending with the Patiala IG against a DSP posted at Patiala for allegedly manhandling scribes after the court verdict against Bibi Jagir Kaur.

He was restricting mediapersons from clicking Bibi Jagir Kaur’s pictures.

the journey via begowal

• 6 pm: The police team leaves Patiala with Bibi for Kapurthala
• 11.50 pm: Bibi reaches Kapurthala jail after six hours. The travel time between the two places is not more than four hours
• Probe to be ordered into incident

Cong seeks judicial probe

Chandigarh: A delegation of Congress leaders led by Sukhpal Singh Khaira today submitted a memorandum to Governor Shivraj Patil, urging him to set up a judicial commission to look into the special treatment being given to Jagir Kaur in jail. The delegation included Avtar Brar, SS Sibia, Mangat Rai Bansal, RR Bhardwaj and Lakhwinder Singh. They said that she should be shifted to the Chandigarh jail pending the inquiry “in the interest of justice.”

The Congress men said Jagir Kaur had travelled by an air-conditioned SUV from Patiala to Kapurthala jail on March 30 after the sentence. They said the police party had taken her to her dera at Begowal village before taking her to the Kapurthala jail.