Patiala, Punjab:
CBI court in Patiala has acquitted Punjab's cabinet minister Bibi Jagir Kaur of murder in the death of her daughter Harpreet Kaur on April 20, 2000. Jagir Kaur has been convicted of less serious charges of forced abortion, trespassing and illegal confinement.
Here are 5 big developments in the case:
1) Harpreet Kaur died under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000. Jagir Kaur maintained that Harpreet died en route to a hospital after a severe bout of food poisoning. Many relatives gave contradictory statements on the cause of Harpreet's death. Questions were also raised as to why was Harpreet was being taken to Phagwara when she could have been admitted to a nearby hospital.
2) Jagir Kaur was, at that time, the President of the powerful Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee or SGPC and had to resign following the allegations.
3) No post- mortem was conducted and the body was curiously cremated even before the scheduled time set as per Sikh traditions. Reports then had said that Harpreet's face was kept covered before her cremation was to conceal severe bruises on her face and neck
4) Initially, no case was registered. It was registered only after one Kamaljeet Singh, petitioned the high court claiming to be Harpreet's husband. He said that Bibi Jagir Kaur was behind his wife's murder, adding that Jagir Kaur was against their relationship, which is why they were forced to marry in secret. He also produced photos and a video to support his claim. He also said Harpreet was pregnant and Jagir Kaur forced her to abort the foetus. It was only in June 2000 that the case went to the CBI and a First Information Report was registered.
5) Yet after all the allegations, Kamaljeet also changed his stand in 2010. But the case was based on the circumstantial evidence and testimony of a doctor turned approver.