A month after crime, former Mayor yet to join SIT probe
Monday, 25/03/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130325/punjab.htm#12
Patiala : A month after the murder of 29-year old Parampreet Kaur, the "daughter-in-law" of former Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pardhan, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to investigate the case is yet to question the former Mayor.
The SIT claimed their team was busy collecting crucial evidence to corroborate the claims of the complainant, besides conducting raids to arrest Pardhan. The three-member SIT has visited the crime scene more than thrice in the past one month.
"Crucial evidence was lost on the first day of the crime when the police was not summoned on time. The case was later shifted to the SIT. But its head was on leave for the initial few days, which gave enough time to the accused to destroy evidence," said a senior police officer.
Pardhan's "wife" Paramjeet Kaur and her son Harpreet Singh are already under judicial custody. The family members of the victim have alleged that the SIT was working under pressure as the former Mayor was an influential person.
SIT head Inspector General (crime) Shashiprabha Diwedi said all efforts to nab Pardhan had failed. "We are not wasting any time. We are collecting evidence to build our case. We have not given a clean chit to anyone," she said.
The victim's family members recently approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a CBI probe into the case. The court has issued a notice to the state on a petition filed by the victims' father Amarjit Singh Sodhi.
Patiala murder case
Parampreet Kaur (29), a resident of the old city in Toba Kashmira, was found dead on February 23
A case of murder was registered against former Patiala Mayor Jaspal Pardhan, his "wife" Paramjeet Kaur and her son Harpreet Singh
Pardhan was forced to resign from the Mayor's post on February 25
The government constituted a Special Investigating Team to probe the case
