Police solves NRI murder case

Hoshiarpur, Oct 6 (UNI) The police here claimed to have solved a ten-month-old case of blind murder of NRI Surinder Singh of village Mehlanwali with the arrest of two suspects involved in the killing.

Hoshiarpur SSP R N Dhoke stated here this afternoon that Jasbir Singh and Gurtej Singh Teja of Daulatpur Gillan had been arrested for the murder of the NRI.

Two more suspects Parvesh Kumar, alias Baboo, and his father Joginder Singh of Mehlanwali would be arrested soon, he said.

The SSP said on the evening of December 19, 2005, some unidentified persons called Surinder Singh to his fields for purchasing his land. The next day his dead body was found under the shrubs in the fields with marks of injuries on the head and neck.

The Sadar Police registered a case under sections 302 of the IPC.

A special team, headed by SP Darshan Singh Dhindsa, which arrested the two suspects, zeroed in on Jasbir Singh, who was found missing from his house for a long time and nabbed him as soon as he returned here some time back.

During interrogations, he revealed that on December 12, 2005 Parvesh Kumar and Gurtej Singh Teja came to his residence and asked him to bring Surinder Singh to the fields which they were interested in buying.

When he took the NRI to the fields where Parvesh Kumar and Gurtej Singh Teja were already present, they sent him to fetch water from the village. When he returned, he found the dead body of Surinder Singh near bales of straw while Parvesh Kumar and Gurtej Singh Teja were missing, Jasbir Singh claimed and said he returned quietly to his home.

According to Jasbir, the next day, the duo came to his residence and threatened him with dire consequences if he opened his mouth.

Parvesh Kumar gave him Rs 3200 and instructed him to go to some far away place. He revealed that he went to Mumbai out of fear and had returned after a long time due to the ill-health of his wife.

Explaining the motive behind the murder, the SSP said Joginder Singh had to pay Rs three lakh to Surinder Singh and the NRI had begun pressurising him for returning the sum.

He further said that Gurtej Singh Teja had a criminal background and cases under various sections of Arms Act and looting had already been registered at Hariana and Tanda Police Stations against him.

Mr Dhoke said Gurmit Kaur, the first wife of the deceased NRI Surinder Singh, was also murdered at the same site in 1995 in a similar manner. The police had stepped up investigations in the case, he added.

UNI XC JN VD BST2011