CHANDIGARH: Mrs. Harminder Kaur Sandhu, District and Sessions Judge today convicted Amir Chand Kaushal, the controversial self-styled guru, under Section 302, LP.C., in what had come to known as “S.R. Datta case” and sentenced him to undergo rigorous life imprisonment and. pay a fine of Rs 1,000.

Handing down a 30 page judgment this afternoon the Sessions Judge told a packed court that Baldey Singh at whose house the mummified body of Mr. S.R. Datta Assistant Forest Officer Himachal Pradesh was kept, was convicted under Section 201 (concealment of facts), I.P.C., and sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for three years.

The Judge, however acquitted Mrs. Daljit Kaur, wife of Baldev Singh.

According to the prosecution in June 1985 Mr. Datta developed a boil on the backside of his neck. Baldev Singh who was already under the influence of the tantrik did not allow Mrs. Kamlesh Datta to get her husband treated by a doctor. After some time Mr. Datta died.

The body of Mr. Datta was shifted to the Sector 8 house of Baldey Singh in 1985. Amir Chand Kaushal continued to give an assurance to Mrs. Kamlesh Datta what he would bring her husband to life provided she did not tell anybody that her husband had died.

Because of this assurance by the tantrik the body was placed on a cot and none of the relatives of Mr. Datta was allowed to see it.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 23, 1989