The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday directed Kuldeep Singh, real uncle of Harpreet K Singh, an Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer who was shot dead in district courts complex by his father-in-law Malvinder Singh Sidhu, to remain present in Sector-36 police station to join probe in connection with murder case.

Justice Anoop Chitkara passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Baljeet Kaur, mother of the deceased officer.She has alleged that Kuldeep Singh who is the real uncle of the deceased was hand in glove with main accused Malvinder Singh Sidhu, the suspended Punjab police AIG, and was also present in the court concerned. It was also alleged that there is serious apprehension of threat to her life and liberty and to her family at the hands of Kuldeep Singh.

However, during the hearing of the matter, the counsel for Kuldeep Singh rejected the contentions of deceased officer’s mother claiming that Kuldeep Singh was not present in the court complex throughout the day. It was also claimed by the counsel that Kuldeep Singh has been falsely named to settle scores.

Without investigating the threat perception, in the larger interest of security to the mother of the deceased and her family, Justice Chitkara ordered Kuldeep Singh to remain present in Sector-36 police station, Chandigarh, on Wednesday at 8 am.

The court also clarified that if the investigator intends to arrest Kuldeep Singh in an FIR registered under section 103(2) of BNS, he can do so.

“It is clarified that this order is passed only to ensure the security of people and it is clarified that this order does not restrict the investigator to proceed to investigate the FIR under Section 103(2) of BNS, 2023 at Police station Sector-36, Chandigarh,” the HC has ordered adjoining the hearing for Wednesday.

Ex-AIG sent to 14-day judicial custody

Former assistant inspector general (AIG) of Punjab Police, Malwinder Singh Sidhu, has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. Following the incident, court security has been tightened.