Road rage death: Court for murder charge against three army officers

PATHANKOT RESIDENT HAD DIED AFTER HE WAS PUSHED BY THE ACCUSED, FAMILY APPEALED AFTER COPS CHANGED CHARGE TO CULPABLE HOMICIDE

PATHANKOT: A district court has directed the police to book a retired and two serving army officers for murder in a case of “road rage” that claimed the life of a Pathankot resident last year.

Victim Anil Kapoor of Indira Colony had died on March 21, 2015, after he was allegedly pushed by the three accused when he tried to intervene in a quarrel they were having with a couple after their cars collided with each other.

Cops had reached the spot at the time of the clash, and booked Brigadier Arun Kaistha (retired), his son Lieutenant Colonel Arjun Kaistha and son-in-law Major Rohit Palak under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Pathankot station house officer Sukhjinder Singh had registered the case on the complaint of the victim’s friend Viney Kumar, who had accused the three of thrashing Anil Kapoor, leading to his death.

Later, however, the police changed the charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, under Section 304 of the IPC, in absence of strong evidence, after which the victim’s family appealed in court, alleging involvement of high-ranking army officers.

Ruling in favour of the victim’s family, the district court has now also issued summons to the three accused to be present in court for the next hearing on July 30. Reacting on the ruling, Mehak Kapoor, wife of the deceased, said she wants a stern punishment for the accused.

She said another case, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is also pending in the Punjab and Haryana high court. It will come up for hearing on August 3, she said.