Shubhkaran Singh death case: Witnesses apprehensive about facing inquiry panel in Haryana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

The three-member committee constituted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court under Justice Jaishree Thakur after farmer Shubhkaran lost his life during the ongoing protests will hold its next meeting in Chandigarh. The decision follows apprehensions expressed by the witnesses/injured to appear before the panel in Haryana.

“The witnesses/injured persons are apprehensive about appearing before the commission in a venue, which is within the state of Haryana. A request has been made that the venue should be fixed either in Punjab or Chandigarh. It is also submitted that maximum number of 30 persons would come forth to depose. The request seems reasonable. The commission will meet on May 6 at 2.30 pm at Kisan Bhavan in Sector 35, Chandigarh, for its next proceedings,” the probe panel observed.

The HC in March had directed the constitution of the committee headed by its retired judge to supervise the matter after making it clear that both Punjab and Haryana had several things to draw a veil over.

“Keeping in view the facts and circumstances, this court is of the considered opinion that the investigation regarding the death of Shubhkaran cannot be entrusted solely either to Punjab or Haryana for obvious reasons as both the states have several things to cover up,” the Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji had asserted.

It had also asserted that Justice Thakur, heading the committee, would be assisted by Punjab ADGP Parmod Ban and his Haryana counterpart Amitabh Singh Dhillon. The Bench had added the committee would firstly give a report on the police authorities having jurisdiction to investigate the death. This was essential as the place of occurrence and the death had to be confirmed as one state was shirking its responsibilities, while the other was yearning to get its hands on the investigation. The cause of death, the type of weapon and the bullet/pellet would also be within the committee’s domain.

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