HC notice to Punjab Police on plea seeking CBI probe into lawyer’s murder

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday sought a response from Punjab Police on a plea seeking probe either by an independent agency or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of a Hoshiarpur lawyer, Bhagwant Kishore Gupta on Diwali night in 2020.

The high court bench of justice Deepak Sibal acted on the plea of Sumendra Gupta, son of the lawyer. The response has been sought by March 8.

Gupta, a senior practising lawyer, and his assistant, Siya Khullar, also a lawyer, were found murdered in a burnt car on Phagwara-Chandigarh bypass.

The plea demands that the probe into FIR registered on November 22 under Model Town police station in Hoshiarpur be handed over to either an IPS rank officer, the CBI or any other independent agency. The plea also demands that a status report be called, as the police in connivance with Ashish Singh, husband of the deceased assistant, wants that a compromise br reached in the matter.

There was a matrimonial dispute between Ashish and the assistant and the father tried to sort out the differences. On November 13, the father had gone to Singh’s house where heated arguments took place, the plea says. It adds that the police had tried to hush-up the murder in the garb of accident and proceeded with inquest proceedings and FIR was registered only after a representation from the petitioner.

The police termed the incident as a roadside accident of collision with a tree due to short-circuit in the vehicle. However, a video shot by passerby reveals that car did not collide with the tree and some fuel was poured on the vehicles to destroy the evidence, the court was told adding that photos and video of the spot reveal that it was a planned murder. The police did not make any attempt to find out the truth and it appears police do not have intention to bring this case to its logical end and since beginning they are trying to cover up the matter for the reasons best known to them, it was alleged that the accused belongs to Bulandshahar in UP and is connected to a political family.

The crime was committed in Hoshiarpur and he belongs to UP, hence some central agency is required to probe the case, the court was told.