Family of slain youth leader under threat from Akalis: Cong
Saturday, 18/04/2015
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PATTI (TARN TARAN): Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) member Harminder Singh Gill has alleged that kin of the slain Youth Congress leader, Sukhraj Singh Bhagupur, were receiving threats from their rivals, who “belonged to ruling party”.
Addressing the media here on Friday, Gill claimed that those who were responsible for the murder of Sukhraj were threatening his family members, who were witnesses of the murder, and would record their statements in a court. Besides, other witnesses had also been threatened and being asked not to dispose off in court against the accused, he clamed.
The slain leader’s father Daljit Singh, his mother Narinder Kaur and wife Manjinder Kaur were present at the press conference along with Gill. They claimed that they were receiving threat calls and were being warned of dire consequences if they appeared in the court.
Sukhraj, a former Patti block president of the Youth Congress, was shot dead in 2013 when he was coming out of a gurdwara at his native Bhagupur village. After paying obeisance, he was to file his nomination papers for the block samiti polls.
The three accused — Sarwan Singh Bhagupur, Sukhwinder Singh and Harcharan Singh, all Akali supporters — are presently lodged in a Patti jail.
“They are supposed to be in the jail, but many people have seen them roaming around and attending marriages and other functions. On a number of occasions, they have been seen admitted at the Patti civil hospital on medical grounds and all this is being going on with the assistance of the jail staff,” claimed Gill. Demanding security for the family, he said, “If security is not given the Congress will stage a dharna outside the Patti jail on April 26.”
JAIL SUPERINTENDENT REFUTES ALLEGATIONS
When asked to comment on Gill’s allegations, jail superintendent GS Randhawa said, “The three murder accused are in the jail and never went out. One of them was admitted at a hospital some time back as he was unwell.”
