- Chandigarh High Court asked government to file status report on Dalit man's death probe
- The man died after alleged harassment for questioning minister Harpal Singh Cheema
- Cheema accused opposition of conspiracy to frame him amid calls for his dismissal
As demands for a CBI probe into the alleged suicide of a Dalit man in Sangrur grew louder, the High Court here asked the Punjab government on Wednesday to file a status report in the case while state minister Harpal Singh Cheema, who is at the centre of the row, broke his silence, accusing the opposition of hatching a conspiracy to "frame" him.
Gulzar Singh, hailing from Turbanjara village in Dirba, died on September 7 after allegedly consuming poison. His family alleged that he was harassed and subjected to casteist slurs for questioning Cheema about the supply of drugs in his area at an event in Dirba the day before.
While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab had come out in defence of Cheema, this is the first time that the minister has himself responded to the allegations.
The issue, which has snowballed into a major political controversy with the opposition Congress, Akali Dal and the BJP targeting the AAP government and demanding Cheema's removal, has reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
A bench of Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor sought the status report on the investigation while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) for a CBI probe into Singh's death.
The court fixed October 6 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
The case is being probed by a special investigation team formed by the Punjab Police.
Petitioner Ravinder Singh Sampla said the court has asked the Punjab government to file a status report and conduct a proper investigation into the incident.
Sampla said he has prayed for a CBI probe into the daily wager's death as he apprehends that the Punjab Police would not conduct a proper investigation.
BJP MP Tarun Chugh met the family of Gulzar Singh and demanded a CBI probe. Chugh said he would soon take up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and seek an investigation by the central agency so that the truth can emerge without political or administrative pressure.
However, Cheema alleged that the BJP, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal are "hatching a conspiracy on how to frame a minister".
"I have enough evidence. At present, I do not want to bring out that evidence now as an investigation is currently underway. Let the investigation be completed.
"I will reply to each leader when the time comes and will show the people how they are playing politics over dead bodies," he told reporters while replying to a question on the opposition demanding his dismissal.
Cheema also said that the original statement of Gulzar Singh's family is already in the public domain. "People have seen it and know the facts surrounding the matter," he said.
Apart from Cheema's resignation, the opposition parties have also been demanding an independent probe into Singh's death. They have sought an FIR against Cheema after Gulzar Singh's purported video of his last moments surfaced, in which he spoke about questioning the finance minister.
Cheema also targeted the BJP over its proposed 'Nasha Mukt yatra' in Punjab and asked why the Centre had "failed" to check the cross-border smuggling of drugs.
The BJP has announced four 'Nasha Mukt yatras' across Punjab from September 18 to create awareness against the menace of drugs and promote a drug-free state.
BJP MP Chugh demanded that Cheema be dismissed immediately from the Bhagwant Mann Cabinet to ensure justice to the family of Gulzar Singh.
A video purportedly of Singh's last moments had surfaced in which he spoke about questioning the finance minister, prompting opposition parties to demand the resignation of Cheema and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The case was registered under section 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against five villagers -- Baljit Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vicky Singh, Gona Singh and Baljinder Kaur.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
