Man takes poison in Kharar court, dies

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 10

A former sarpanch of Abhaypur village in Kharar today allegedly committed suicide by taking poison inside the courtroom of a Judicial Magistrate in Kharar.

The police have booked a leading realtor of the area, Jarnail Singh Bajwa, owner of Sunny Enclave, and his associate, Baljinder Singh Kala, for abetting the suicide under Section 306 of the IPC at the Kharar City police station.

Confirming the development, Inspector Vijay Kumar, SHO of the area, said the case was registered against the realtor and his associate on a statement of Arwinder Singh, son of the victim, Karam Singh.

Sources said a 10-page suicide note was recovered from the victim’s possession.

Area DSP RS Mrar claimed that some documents had been recovered from the victim’s possession. However, these could not be treated as a suicide note. “These were in the form of a complaint,” said the DSP.

Since big names from the area were allegedly mentioned in the reported suicide note, police officials were reluctant to provide concrete information about it.

The sources said the victim, Karam Singh, told the Judge that the realtor had to make a payment of several lakhs to him, which he was not giving.

The victim started vomiting in the court following which he was taken to the Kharar Civil Hospital by the police. Later, he was referred to the PGI in Chandigarh, where he died during the treatment. Before taking the extreme step, Karam Singh called up his son Arwinder Singh and told him that he was fed up and wanted to commit suicide. Arwinder Singh said he was in Ropar with his friend when his father called him up. “I pleaded with him not to do so and rushed to Kharar. When I reached, my father was lying on a stretcher at the Kharar hospital,” said Arwinder.

The victim’s son claimed that they have given a grader machine to Bajwa on a rent of Rs 1.70 lakh per month in 2013. He alleged that the realtor was neither paying the rent (nearly Rs 61 lakh) nor returning the machine.

DSP Mrar said the victim had given him a complaint around two months ago, alleging that the realtor was not giving his dues. “When I enquired, it came out that Karam Singh himself owed some money to the realtor,” the DSP said.

“We have registered a case. Investigations are on. Arrests would be made soon,” said the SHO.