Singhu murder victim's kin demand CBI probe, govt job
Darpan News Desk IANS, 28 Oct, 2021 10:28 AM
New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) Singhu border lynching victim Lakhbir Singh's family on Thursday demanded a CBI probe, a government job and a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs.
Lakhbir's family -- wife, daughter, brother and father -- went to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence but as he was unavailable, they met the staff of the Home Minister and put forth their demands.
The staff assured the family that their demands will be conveyed to the Home Minister.
Lakhbir's family had earlier met the National Commission for Scheduled Castes chairman Vijay Sampla on October 25 in the national capital.
After meeting the victim's family, Sampla had said that the Commission has taken cognisance of the issue, compensation will be disbursed and a case will be registered under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.
"We will ensure that the kin of victims will be provided employment and compensation," Sampla added.
The Punjab Government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations levelled by Lakhbir's family that he was lured to the Singhu border, the site of the farmers' protest, by unknown people.
After ordering a SIT probe, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa had said that Additional Director General of Police Varinder Kumar would head the SIT, comprising Firozpur Range DIG Inderbir Singh and Tarn Taran SSP Harvinder Singh Virk.
Lakhbir was brutally murdered allegedly by Nihangs on charges of sacrilege of their holy book, the Sarbloh Granth.
Lakhbir was a resident of Cheema Khurd village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab and is survived by his wife Jaspreet Kaur and three children.
Senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Singh, submitted his client has been in jail for the past two years, and added that his custody is not required, as two charge sheets have already been filed.
Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttar Pradesh government for delay in recording statements of witnesses before a judicial magistrate in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, where eight persons were killed, and also told the state government to dispel the impression that it is dragging its feet in the matter.
In a statement, the minister termed the decision by the CBSE to include all regional languages in the minor subjects as a conspiracy to wean students away from their mother tongue.
Delhi government has always tried to release the compensation soon after the announcement and has done so in the past too, he said, adding that the compensation amount given by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)- led government is the highest in the country.
As per the information, Raj Kaur, a resident of Kassel, presently residing in Cheema Kalan in Tarn Taran district, had alleged that her brother Lakhbir Singh was allured by some persons and taken to Singhu where he was murdered by some Nihang Sikhs on October 15 for alleged sacrilege.
The issue was up for deliberation on Wednesday during the meeting between the party leaders and former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Congress' Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat.
