Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court Tuesday acquitted former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur and co-accused in her daughter Harpreet Kaur’s death case.
Pronouncing the order, Justice A.B. Chaudhari and Justice Kuldip Singh allowed her appeal and set aside the Patiala CBI special court order of awarding her five years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 5,000.
Former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, had moved the High Court after she was convicted of abduction and forcible abortion of her daughter. Both Bibi and the CBI had filed appeals in the case.
In April 2000, Bibi Jagir Kaur’s 19-year-old daughter Harpreet Kaur was found dead under mysterious circumstances. Later, a probe conducted by the CBI, on the high court’s directions, had found Bibi Jagir Kaur’s involvement.
The SAD leader had appealed against the trial court order in high court in November 2012. Jagir Kaur, who had to resign as cabinet minister after her conviction, could not contest the 2017 assembly polls since her appeal was pending before the high court.
The trial court in her case had held: “The prosecution has been able to prove that accused Dalwinder Kaur Dhesi, Paramjit Singh Raipur and Nishan Singh abducted Harpreet, who was a major, by deceitful means”. Dhesi was Bibi’s “trusted friend” and related to Raipur, who was Bibi’s political confidant.
The CBI, in its appeal, had said that Harpreet was abducted on March 18, 2000, from Chandigarh after being sedated.
