The Tribune, January 22, 2002

Main suspect in Joginder case held
Plot to kill former minister exposed
Pradeep Sharma
Tribune News Service

Panipat, January 21
With the arrest of the main suspect in the sensational Joginder Kaur murder case, in which three relatives of Speaker Satbir Singh Kadian are allegedly involved, the local police claims to have unearthed a plot to kill a former Haryana minister, Mr Om Prakash Jain.

According to the police, Sandeep, a resident of Gosain Khera village in Jind district, who shot Joginder Kaur, a retired teacher, in broad daylight in the chamber of her counsel at the district courts here on November 26 last year, was arrested along with his two accomplices from near Azizullah Bridge last night after a brief encounter.

Sandeep, who along with Surjeet of Ballah in Karnal district, and Dharam Raj of Gamri village in Sonepat district, had come to Panipat from UP on motorcycle, allegedly to eliminate Mr Jain on the directions of Rakesh of Karnal. The trio was promised an amount of Rs 1 crore for the purpose. Rakesh and Mr Jain had a longstanding dispute over some financial matter, it is learnt.

According on specific information, a police party cordoned off the area and signalled the motorcycle to stop. However, the suspects did not stop and allegedly fired at the police party which returned the fire. This forced them to abandon the motorcycle and fled towards the fields. The police followed them and arrested them.

A revolver and two cartridges were seized from them. A case under Sections 307 and 34, IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act had been registered against them.

During interrogation, Sandeep confessed to have shot Joginder Kaur. He also admitted that on the day of the crime, Naveen, who had already been arrested, was with him. He confessed that a few days before the crime, Surjit had informed him and Naveen that Sandeep, alias Sheelu, would give them Rs 4 lakh for killing her.

It may be recalled that Kuldip Kalwa, the main suspect in the famous Pritam Ahuja murder case and serving a sentence in Ambala Jail, had claimed at a recent Press conference that he had given the contract of killing Joginder Kaur to Sheelu who in turn gave the contract to Sandeep who had reportedly got an advance of Rs 60,000 from him.

It may be recalled that the woman was shot when she tried to plead before the judge that three close relatives of the Speaker should also be included in a case relating to the demolition of her house by over 20 armed persons.