HC acquits Jagir Kaur in daughter’s death case

CHANDIGARH: Akali leader and former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur was on Tuesday acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana high court in the case of forcible abortion and abduction of her daughter, Harpreet Kaur, who had died under mysterious circumstances in April 2000.

A division bench of justices AB Chaudhari and Kuldip Singh also acquitted three other accused — Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur and Nishan Singh — setting aside the 2012 verdict of Patiala CBI special court which had sentenced them and Kaur to fiveyear imprisonment in the case.

“The court acquitted Bibi Jagir Kaur and three others accused in this case,” said Kaur’s counsel, senior advocate, JS Bedi.

The high court also dismissed the appeal of the CBI and complainant Kamaljit Singh, who claimed to be the husband of Kaur’s daughter Harpreet, filed against the Patiala CBI court judgement acquitting Kaur and others of murder charge.

“…the prosecution miserably failed to prove its case against all the accused persons. The judgment impugned is illegal and

must be set aside which we do,” said the bench. Nishan, then personal security officer of Kaur, Paramjit, then political adviser to Kaur and Dhesi, a close friend, were all convicted for causing miscarriage without consent, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy.

“The case was conspiracy of my opponents who wanted to kill me politically and socially. However, my party leadership never sidelined me and gave me leading roles. With grace of god, I got

rid of this problem today,” Jagir Kaur told reporters during her visit to the Golden Temple after the verdict. Harpreet had reportedly been in a relationship with Kamaljit, a resident of Kapurthala district’s Begowal town. Jagir Kaur, who was then the president of the SGPC, was opposed to their marriage. At the time of her death on April 20, 2000, Harpreet was 19-years-old.

As of Kaur’s role, the court said, “Why a mother would even think of eliminating her beloved elder daughter, when as alleged she had succeeded in secretly terminating the pregnancy.” When abortion was carried out on March 20, 2000 and none knew about it, the court said adding that no occasion then arose, that it became absolutely necessary to eliminate Harpreet after a month on April 20.

“…how Harpreet Kaur died should be explained by Jagir Kaur, we think it is begging a question. There is evidence ….she suffered from acute dehydration and she was being taken away to CMC, Ludhiana, but died on way. This evidence is probable and acceptable,” the court concluded. As of Kamaljit, the court rejected his statements and called him a “dishonest and liar witness.” The court also did not give credence to statements of Balwinder Singh Sohal, a doctor, who initially helped in abortion and later became approver, holding that he was “planted witness”.

“We think CBI is a prosecuting agency and not a persecuting agency. It must maintain the highest moral standards,” the court said, adding in the case in hand it acted like a ‘persecuting agency’.