2016 Faridkot incident: 6 years on, four get 10-year RI for abetting Dalit family’s suicide
Six years after four members of a Dalit family ended their lives in Faridkot, a district court on Monday sentenced four accused to 10-year rigorous imprisonment for abetment to suicide.
Faridkot
Six years after four members of a Dalit family ended their lives in Faridkot, a district court on Monday sentenced four accused to 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) for abetment to suicide. Two persons were acquitted for want of evidence.
Additional district and sessions judge Rajiv Kalra convicted Lal Singh, Baljit Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Sarabjit Singh for abetment to suicide and sentenced them to undergo 10-year RI. The court also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 each on the convicts. “Accused Jaspal Kaur alias Seema and Balbir Singh alias Tenta were acquitted of the charges levelled against them,” court observed.
On September 22, 2016, Jagtar Singh (48), a pickle-maker, his wife Salwinder Kaur (46) and two unmarried daughters Harbhajan Kaur and Parveen Kaur committed suicide by jumping into the Rajasthan feeder canal in Faridkot.
A case was registered against six persons on the complaint of Jagtar’s another daughter Mandeep Kaur under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Faridkot city police station.
A suicide note signed by the four members was recovered from the residence of the victims in which they named Lal Singh Baljit Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Sarabjit Singh and some other persons.
According to the note, Jagtar had a fight with Lal Singh on August 21, 2016, following which he sustained injuries and was admitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot. It was alleged that since Lal Singh had the support of a senior functionary of the district planning board, the police were reluctant to take action against him. The note also alleged that supported by the political leaders, the accused and some other members of his community, including five municipal committee employees, started harassing Jagtar and his family, forcing them to commit suicide.
The name of Faridkot planning board chairman and local Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harjit Singh Bholuwala was also in the suicide note. Bholuwala, Gurdev Kaur and Jarnail Singh were also named as accused in the case but they died during the trial.