Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court acquitted here on Tuesday aquitted the ex-SGPC President Bibi Jagir Kaur, and others in Bibi’s daughter Harpreet Kaur’s death case.
Pronouncing the order in an open court at about 10 am, Justice AB Chaudhari and Justice Kuldip Singh allowed her appeal and set aside the Patiala CBI special court order of awarding her five years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 5,000.
When Bibi’s daughter suddenly died in 2000, she and six others were charged for murder by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 2012, when she was serving as a cabinet minister in the Punjab Government, Bibi, Paramjit Singh Raipur (member SGPC), Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi (mother of UK MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi) and Nishan Singh (Bibi’s Head of Security) were acquitted of the murder charge, but the Judge of the Special CBI Court convicted them for kidnap and forced abortion, whereas the maid, driver and assistant were completely freed. Bibi challenged the decision with an appeal in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
In pronouncing judgement, the High Court Double Bench confirmed, “All appeals filed by the convicted accused are allowed. They are acquitted of all charges. The judgement of the trial court is set aside. Appeals filed by the CBI and complainant are dismissed.”
The judgment on the appeal filled by Bibi was reserved in October. The premier investigating agency has all along been claiming that the trial judge failed to appreciate that Harpreet’s death was homicidal, and “committed a grave error in law in not giving a finding that the death was under mysterious circumstances”.
The investigating agency had asserted that her acquittal of murder charge and destroying evidence was not justified from the record.
The CBI had added in its appeal that Harpreet was abducted on March 18, 2000, from Chandigarh after being sedated. She was confined at her trusted friend Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi’s residence Jasdil Mansion in Phagwara.
Her pregnancy was terminated against her will on March 20, 2000, at Kartarpur by Dhesi, Bibi’s political confidant Paramjeet Singh and approver Dr Balwinder Singh Sohal.
Timeline
March 18, 2000: Prosecution alleges Harpreet was abducted from Chandigarh after being sedated and was confined in Phagwara
March 20: The prosecution alleges her pregnancy was terminated against her will at Kartarpur
March 30, 2012: Bibi Jagir Kaur convicted
May 7: The Punjab and Haryana High Court admits her appeal in Harpreet abduction case
