Patiala: Punjab minister Jagir Kaur was on Friday convicted for conspiring in forcible abduction, kidnapping and wrongful confinement in connection with the
killing of her daughter Harpreet Kaur 12 years back but was
acquitted of the murder charge.
Kaur, a former President of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak
Committee (SGPC), was awarded five years imprisonment and also
fined Rs 5,000 by the special CBI court.
Kaur, who was present in the court of special CBI judge
Balbir Singh, was immediately taken into judicial custody for
being sent to the Central Jail at Patiala. She broke down
immediately after her sentence was announced.
Three others Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur
and Nishan Singh were also convicted under section 120-B
(Criminal Conspiracy). The three were fined Rs 5,000 each.
Another accused Satya Devi was acquitted of all charges
while another accused Sanjiv Kumar died during the trial.
Harpreet had died under mysterious circumstanced during
the intervening night of April 20 and 21, 2000 en route from
Phagwara to Ludhiana`s Christian Medical College and Hospital.
Citing that there was "no foul play" and Harpreet`s
death was natural due to fever, vomiting and severe
dehydration, her post-mortem was not conducted and she was
cremated in a hurried manner on April 21 at the Bibi`s home
village Begowal (Kapurthala).
A few days after Harpreet`s death, Kamaljit Singh, a
resident of Begowal claimed that he was her husband and father
of Harpreet`s stillborn child. On April 27, 2000 Kamaljit
approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On June 9, 2000,
the HC directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
All the four convicted were today immediately taken into
judicial custody within the court room itself for completion
of formalities so that they could be sent to the local Patiala
Central Jail.
Kaur and other accused Dhesi, Raipur and Sub Inspector
Nishan Singh were acquited of charge under 302 IPC (murder).
Kaur was convicted under section 120-B (criminal
conspiracy) read with 313 (forcible abortion - causing
miscarriage without woman`s consent), 344 (wrongful
confinement of more than 10 days) and 365 (kidnapping or
abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a
person).
Dhesi and Raipur were convicted under section 313
(forcible abortion /causing miscarriage without woman`s
consent).
The two were awarded five years imprisonment and fined
Rs 5,000 each on this charge, Special CBI Prosecutor RK Handa
told PTI.
Both along with Singh were convicted under section 365 of
the IPC (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and
wrongfully to confine a person) and awarded a sentence of
three years imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 each.
Dhesi, Raipur and Singh were also convicted under section
344 IPC (wrongful confinement for 10 or more days). The three
were awarded one years imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000 each.
All the sentences of the accused would run concurrently,
the court ordered.
PTI
