Sr Chadha finally shows up for last rites of his son

AMRITSAR: After being on the run for seven days to evade sexual harassment charges, former president of the Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD), Charanjit Singh Chadha, turned up in public on Friday for the cremation of his son. His son and former vicepresident of the CKD, Inderpreet Singh, allegedly killed himself on Wednesday.

Chadha was on the run since December 28 but got interim bail on Thursday until January 10.

The 83-year-old came to the Shaheeda Sahib Cremation ground with his three grandsons and other close family members on a truck arranged for bringing the body of the deceased around 2:50 pm.

Chadha, his wife Harbans Kaur, daughter-in-law Inderjeet Kaur and three grandsons —Anmolpreet, Prabhpreet and Angadpreet — appeared sombre.

Anmolpreet lit the funeral pyre in the afternoon. Two Congress MLAS, Om Parkash Soni and Sunil Dutti, along with other leaders and members of the CKD were also present on the grieving occasion.

Inderpreet allegedly shot himself in his car on Ajnala road in Amritsar on Wednesday.

On December 26, a video purportedly showing Chadha sexually harassing a woman principal of a CKD school went viral.

The next day, she shot off a letter to Punjab director general of police accusing Chadha of sexual harassment, and Inderpreet of criminal intimidation.

The father-son duo was booked on December 28 and Chadha absconded soon after.

In a purported suicide note and another letter, Inderpreet allegedly held the video, along with family and business troubles responsible for his death. The police have charged 11 people, including the woman complainant, of abetting Inderpreet’s suicide.