PARENTS WANT HIS BODY BACK

AMRITSAR :A day after Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh, alias Happy PHD, was killed in Pakistan, his parents on Tuesday demanded return of their son’s body for cremation.

Harmeet, whose name figured in several terror cases in Punjab, was killed allegedly by a local gang over a financial dispute stemming from drug smuggling at the Dera Chahal gurdwara near Lahore on Monday afternoon.

Harmeet’s father Avtar Singh and mother Khushbir Kaur are living in Amritsar’s Chheharta area. They said their son had left home in November 2008 and had not been in contact with them ever since.

“We have come to know about our son’s death from media. His body should be sent back for cremation,” said 71-year-old Avtar, a retired clerk of agriculture department.

He said, “In November 2008, my son had left our house. We tried to find him. In September 2018, we came to know from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) that he had been living in Pakistan.”

He said, “He was inclined towards religious activities. He was also very kind-hearted. How could he be a criminal?”

Harmeet’s mother Khushbir Kaur, 70, a retired government teacher, said, “Before leaving home, Harmeet didn’t inform us where he was going.”

She said, “Since Harmeet left us, we have been living a terrible life. When he was living with us, we never found him involved in any criminal activity. He topped MA in religious studies and in psychology from Punjabi University, Patiala. He had also cleared the UGC exam. He was doing PHD in religious studies from Guru Nanak Dev University when he left home.”

Harmeet’s only sister is married in Gurdaspur.