Patiala (Punjab), March 30: Punjab minister Jagir Kaur was today convicted for conspiring in forcible abduction, kidnapping and wrongful confinement in connection with the killing of her daughter Harpreet Kaur 12 years back but was acquitted of the murder charge.
Kaur, a former President of Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC), was awarded five years imprisonment and also fined Rs 5,000 by the special CBI court.
Kaur, who was present in the court of special CBI judge Balbir Singh, was immediately taken into judicial custody for being sent to the Central Jail at Patiala. She broke down immediately after her sentence was announced.
Three others Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur and Nishan Singh were also convicted under section 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy). The three were fined Rs 5,000 each.
Another accused Satya Devi was acquitted of all charges while another accused Sanjiv Kumar died during the trial. Harpreet had died under mysterious circumstanced during the intervening night of April 20 and 21, 2000 en route from Phagwara to Ludhiana's Christian Medical College and Hospital.
Citing that there was "no foul play" and Harpreet's death was natural due to fever, vomiting and severe dehydration, her post-mortem was not conducted and she was cremated in a hurried manner on April 21 at the Bibi's home village Begowal (Kapurthala).
A few days after Harpreet's death, Kamaljit Singh, a resident of Begowal claimed that he was her husband and father of Harpreet's stillborn child. On April 27, 2000 Kamaljit approached the Punjab and Haryana high court. On June 9, 2000, the HC directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
All the four convicted were today immediately taken into judicial custody within the court room itself for completion of formalities so that they could be sent to the local Patiala Central Jail.
Kaur and other accused Dhesi, Raipur and Sub Inspector Nishan Singh were acquited of charge under 302 IPC (murder).
Kaur was convicted under section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) read with 313 (forcible abortion - causing miscarriage without woman's consent), 344 (wrongful confinement of more than 10 days) and 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person).
Dhesi and Raipur were convicted under section 313 (forcible abortion /causing miscarriage without woman's consent).
The two were awarded five years imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 each on this charge, special CBI prosecutor R K Handa told PTI.
Both along with Singh were convicted under section 365 of the IPC (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) and awarded a sentence of three years imprisonment and fined Rs 2,000 each.
Dhesi, Raipur and Singh were also convicted under section 344 IPC (wrongful confinement for 10 or more days). The three were awarded one years imprisonment and fined Rs 1,000 each.
All the sentences of the accused would run concurrently, the court ordered.
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