M A I N   N E W S

Patiala Mayor’s wife, son held in murder case
Tribune News Service

Paramjeet Kaur and Harpreet Singh

Patiala, February 24
“Punjab wich do tareekey dey kanoon han. Ik aam aadmi layi, te doosra VIPs de layi” (There are two types of laws in Punjab. One for the common man and the other for the VIPs), said Gurpreet Singh, brother of Parampreet Kaur, daughter-in-law of Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pardhan, who was allegedly found murdered yesterday.

The police, meanwhile, arrested two accused - Mayor’s wife Paramjeet Kaur and her son Harpreet Singh - in the case today. Parampreet Kaur (29) was found murdered under mysterious circumstances yesterday. The Mayor has refused to resign

Not satisfied with the arrests, the victim’s family today demanded a CBI probe. They alleged that the Mayor was “politically well connected and could stoop to any level” to get away.

Angry with the developments and the alleged police inaction in arresting the Mayor, the victim’s family held a dharna outside the mortuary of Government Rajindra Hospital. Later, they blocked traffic on the Sangrur-Patiala Road for a couple of hours.

The dharna was lifted after SP City Daljit Rana said Mayor’s wife Paramjeet Kaur and her son Harpreet Singh have been arrested. The victim was later cremated late afternoon in heavy police presence.

“It is a fit case for a CBI probe as the murder charges are slapped against an incumbent Mayor, who now claims that he was not related to his own son and has also failed to resign from his post to ensure a fair probe. We have absolutely no faith in the working of the Patiala police which is reluctant to arrest the Mayor”, alleged father of the victim Amarjit Singh. “We demand justice from the Punjab Chief Minister. Jaspal Pradhan is free and can destroy evidence and hamper a fair probe”, said Amarjit, who is a complainant in the case.

According to the FIR, Parampreet Kaur, a resident of the old city in Toba Kashmira, was found dead after being allegedly tortured at the behest of the Patiala Mayor, his wife and his son.

“A day before she was found murdered, Parampreet had called us to inform how she was tortured by her in-laws allegedly seeking a divorce. She feared she could be murdered by Jaspal’s son and wife. We pacified her and returned home only to be informed the next day that she was unwell and we found her dead in her house”, reads the FIR.

Denying any political pressure in the case, Patiala SSP Gurpreet Singh Gill told The Tribune that prima facie the role of Paramjeet Kaur and the victim’s husband Harpreet Singh looks prominent in the crime. Therefore, they have been arrested. “Further investigations are on to ascertain the role of Jaspal Pradhan”, replied the SSP.

Family seeks CBI probe

Not satisfied with the arrests, the victim’s family has demanded a CBI probe as they alleged that the Mayor was “politically well connected and could stoop to any level” to get away.