HC bench recuses from hearing Jagir Kaur’s plea

CHANDIGARH: A Punjab and Haryana high court bench on Monday recused itself from hearing Bholath MLA and former Shiromani SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur’s petition in a 2000 case related to her daughter’s murder.

The high court bench of justices TPS Mann and justice Gurmit Ram ordered that matter be put up before some other bench after obtaining necessary orders from the HC chief justice. On July 26, another division bench of justices SS Saron and Lisa Gill had also recsued from hearing the matter.

In April 2000, the SAD leader’s daughter, Harpreet Kaur, had died under mysterious circumstances. Later, an inquiry conducted by the CBI, on the high court’s directions, found Jagir Kaur’s involvement. In 2012, she was convicted on various counts —forcible abortion of the victim’s child, wrongful confinement, abduction and criminal conspiracy — except murder.

In November 2012, the high court admitted her appeal.