Two days on, Jalandhar cops fail to make headway in former sarpanch’s murder case

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 30

Two days after the brutal murder of Gurmel Ram (80), a former sarpanch and a social worker, the police are still groping in the dark.

Body found on roadside

The incident took place on Friday when Gurmel Ram left his house for a night walk close to the nearby fields. When he didn’t return home, his family members, along with other villagers, started looking for him. They found his body on the roadside with multiple stab wounds on his chest, neck and stomach. They immediately informed the police about the matter.

The incident took place on Friday when Gurmel left his house for a night walk close to the nearby fields. When he didn’t return home, his family members, along with other villagers, started looking for him. They found his body on the roadside with multiple stab wounds on his chest, neck and stomach. They immediately informed the police about the matter.

Gurmel’s son Balwinder Kumar said: “My father had no enemies. He served as a panchayat member three times and was also a former sarpanch. He was also an active social worker and a member of the Nasha Virodhi Front, fighting against drug abuse. His life was dedicated to public welfare”.

Kumar said they had appealed to the police to nab the perpetrators as soon as possible, fearing for his family’s safety.

When asked if the family had decided to delay the cremation till the suspects are arrested, Balwinder said the last rites would be performed on Wednesday after the arrival of their relatives from abroad. However, he said they had also appealed to the police to arrest the suspects by Wednesday. If the suspects are not apprehended by then, the family might either postpone the cremation or stage protests to demand justice.

SHO Sanjeev Kumar of the Sadar police station said a case had been registered against the suspects under relevant sections of the IPC.

He said they were facing challenges in investigation due to the remote location of the crime scene. No CCTV cameras were installed in the area. However, he assured that the police were utilizing both human and technical intelligence to trace the suspects.

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