HC issues notices to Selja in Brar murder case

Chandigarh, May 19 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High court today issued notices to the Union Minister of State Ms Selja and others in connection with the alleged harassment and torture to the petitioner and her family at the hands of the police in the wake of recent murder of a Congress leader Harchand Singh Brar of Sirsa district.

Ms Selja is among the seven respondents listed by the petitioner, Ms Urvashi, wife of Pradeep Godara of village Chautala in district Sirsa.

The petitioner has sought directions to the Haryana Home Secretary, state police chief and other concerned police officials not to harass, humiliate and torture her and her family members at the behest of Ms Selja and her kin Jagan Nath, who had unsuccessfully contested as the Congress candidate from Dabwali(SC) constituency for Haryana Vidhan Sabha.

It has further been alleged that petitioner and her family, including her 65-years-old father-in-law Rajender Godara and two minor children were being tortured due to political reasons.

Ms Urvashi has sought directions to protect her life and liberty and that of her family as she apprehended serious threat to their lives.

She also submitted that it was reported that her husband Pradeep Godara allegedly made arrangements for the stay of those people at Sirsa who were responsible for the murder of Harchand Singh Brar, but he was not at all involved in the alleged crime in any manner.

Her husband had been named, she further pointed out, because he was an activist of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and had opposed Jagan Nath a kin of MS Selja in the state legislative elections last year.

She further alleged that the petitioner's family was being harassed and tortured to make statement against INLD leader Abhey Singh Chautala and the younger son of former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.

Her aged father-in-law and a minor relative Mohit Kumar had been picked up by the police in connection the murder, but were released after communications were sent to the Chief Justice of the High Court and other higher authorities.

It was further alleged by the counsel for the petitioner that the district police chief of Sirsa was close to Ms Selja.

After the preliminary hearing, Justice Kitan Anand Lall issued notices for July 17 to Haryana Home Secretary, DGP, Sirsa district police chief, station house officer(SHO), police station, Sadar, Dabwali, Incharge CIA staff Sirsa besides Jagan Nath and Ms Selja.

UNI XC HS VJ KN2035