Son’s sleuthing turns mom’s accidental death into murder case

Mohali: In a remarkable turn of events, a local court has deemed a 2017 "accident" as planned murder. After eight years of a relentless legal battle and investigation, city resident Bharat Bhushan succeeded in convincing the court that his 80-year-old mother, Surinder Kaur, was killed and the murder was passed off as an accident.The court of judicial magistrate, first class (JMIC), Gurleen Kaur, ordered a murder trial against six individuals after converting the case from Section 304 (culpable homicide) to Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Those summoned to face trial include Taranjeet Singh alias Laddi, resident of Daon village and the main accused; Sunita, wife of complainant Bharat Bhushan; Laxmi, niece of co-accused Harbhajan Dass; Anil, Sunita's brother; Rimpy, Anil's wife; and Harbhajan Dass, Sunita's father.Advocate Tejwinder Singh Gill, representing the complainant, described the case as "a son's fight for justice for his mother." He added that it exposed an "illicit relationship between the complainant's wife and the main accused." According to Gill, the defence maintained that it was a case of hit-and-run but the complainant collected CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence to expose the truth. According to the complaint, on Aug 13, 2017, around 6am, Surinder Kaur was on her way to Radha Soami Satsang Bhawan, Sector 71, Mohali, as part of her daily routine. Near the civil dispensary, she was allegedly struck by a Tavera car driven by accused Taranjeet Singh alias Laddi, who then fled from the scene. Initially, the FIR was lodged against an unknown person, but further investigation revealed a conspiracy.The complaint alleged that Sunita, the complainant's wife, developed illicit relations with Laddi, the cab driver who frequently ferried her to and from her school. The two, along with Sunita's family members, allegedly plotted Surinder Kaur's murder.After examining preliminary evidence, the court said prima facie evidence suggested that the accused acted in connivance to intentionally cause the fatal "accident." The judgment noted that "the complainant has been able to establish, through circumstantial and technical evidence, that the deceased was killed in a planned manner rather than dying in a mere road mishap."CCTV footage collected by Bharat Bhushan showed clear damage patterns on the vehicle, matching the collision site. The court observed that the complainant's evidence "supports the origin and motive of the offence" and justifies framing of murder and conspiracy charges.With this, all the six accused have been summoned to appear before court for trial under sections 302 and 120-B IPC. The case marks a significant development in the eight-year-old legal battle.BOX: How did he nail the accused?In his submission to the court, complainant Bharat Bhushan said that when his mother, Surinder Kaur, was killed in the accident, he suspected it to be the handiwork of his wife, Sunita, who was allegedly having an affair with cab driver Taranjeet Singh alias Laddi. Police had filed a case against an unidentified car driver under Section 304 of the IPC.Bharat Bhushan started investigations at his own level and submitted to the court that on Oct 14, 2017 – a day after the fatal accident, he was searching for the vehicle involved with his friends and brother. His friends found that Taranjeet Singh alias Laddi, the cab driver, was getting vehicle repair work done.Bhushan said that footage from a CCTV camera installed at the Phase 2 temple and near a house opposite Bassi Theatre, Phase 2, Mohali, showed that the said vehicle was damaged and its headlights were broken. However, previous footage showed no such damage to the vehicle.He submitted that he obtained CCTV camera footage from various locations, including the toll plaza of Behrampur, Ropar, which clearly revealed damage to the vehicle of the accused, substantiating his version that Taranjeet had caused the accident in which his mother was killed. Taking his investigation into account, the court nailed the six accused for murder charges. MSID:: 125090078 413 |