CHANDIGARH: In a much awaited judgment, the District and Sessions Judge, Chandigarh, March 1th sentenced all three convicts held responsible for the unusual death of DIGJ.S. Anand to two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2, 00 each. Among those sentenced are the DIGs wife, Indu Amend and son, Sumanjit Singh “Nick.”
The death of the DIG, Punjab, occurred 13 years ago and his body was recovered from Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake on July 13, 1983, starting all kinds of speculation. The CBI, which ‘was entrusted with the investigation arrested the accused family members. Nearly three weeks later. ‘All three were present in the crowded courtroom and heard the judge pronounce the sentence quietly. They did not give any immediate reaction. The court was thronged by hordes of media persons and students of Law Department Punjab University, who evincing keen interest had come to watch the court proceedings in this sensational case. However, the judge gave the three, one month to file an shpeal in the High Court and released them on bail after they furnished a bail bond of Rs 10,000 and a surety of the same amount The judge while assessing the question as to whether they should be, released on probation held that the court cannot lose sight of the fact that the reaction of the convicts when DIG collapsed on being manhandled by them was “abnormal” in as much as ordinarily the wife and children would have taken him to the hospital and would have also made efforts to revive him. But they had panicked and tried to cover up their lapse by disposing of the body and in the process killed the DIG, the judge said. The court had convicted them after a prolonged trial on Feb.23.
‘The judge held that the fact that the. Long trial may entitle them to a lesser: sentence yet releasing them on probation, may not be warranted because it may encourage the upsetting of the: social fabric which binds the society” and the family. CBI on the basis of its: investigations maintained that Indo Anand was doubtful of her husband’s fidelity and quarrels often took place between the two. On the fateful night in 1983 there were a series of heated arguments between the couple. On their return from a Colonel’s house in the city. During one such altercation, the DIG collapsed. The CBI maintained that the body was later put in the dickey of the car and thrown into the Sukhna Lake with the help of Nick, Sandy, besides Darshan Lal (the DIG’s. orderly, who turned in a confession later).
Article extracted from this publication >> March 20, 1996
