It’s murder, says victim’s father after his son turns hostile

PANCHKULA: A day after his son turned hostile in the murder case of Geetanjali before a Panchkula court, victim’s father Om Prakash Aggarwal said it was a case of murder and not suicide, but the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has to establish it.

Geetanjali, wife of then Gurgaon chief judicial magistrate Ravneet Garg, was found dead in a park at police lines in Gurgaon on July 17, 2013, with the licensed revolver of the judge lying near her. She had suffered multiple bullet injuries.

In September 2016, the CBI had arrested Ravneet Garg, who was then serving as a civil judge, in connection with the murder.

The Aggarwal family had been alleging that she was being harassed for dowry. The chargesheet filed by CBI says it was a case of dowry death.

However, her brother, Pradeep Aggarwal told CBI special court on Thursday that Ravneet Garg did not maltreat her.

“The accused did not maltreat Geetanjali or subjected to any cruelty in connection with dowry. The accused neither demanded any car or plot in Omaxe city, Sonepat, from Geetanjali or us. It is correct that the accused persons did not harass Geetanjali in connection with said demands nor demanded money in connection with the purchase of a house in Sector 25, Panchkula,” he told the court. These allegations are part of CBI chargesheet. His statement was crucial in view of Aggarwal family’s initial allegations.

Om Prakash Aggarwal said that despite the top investigating agency working on the case, no conclusion has been made till date. “Why are they taking so much time to know if it is a murder or a suicide? In two of the three reports attached with the chargesheet, they had mentioned that it was not a suicide while in the last one it was opined as suicide,” Aggarwal said. He added that his family had never mentioned any name in the FIR and it was against an unknown person.

“Things are different in initial phases (when murder case was reported). There was nothing as such of dowry issue or harassment my daughter was facing. ..It is definitely a murder. Maybe someone killed her to avenge some old rivalry with her husband or father-in-law, who were judges,” said Aggarwal, when reminded of allegations of dowry levelled by them against Garg family. He said that if she had to commit suicide, she could have done at her house.

GEETANJALI, WIFE OF THEN GURGAON CHIEF JUDICIAL MAGISTRATE RAVNEET GARG, WAS FOUND DEAD IN GURUGRAM IN 2013