Punjab’s lone woman minister Bibi Jagir Kaur, a former SGPC chief, was on Friday sentenced to jail for five years by a CBI court in Patiala for the forced abortion of her daughter Harpreet Kaur 12 years ago, which led to her death. She was, however, acquitted of murder. Two others were also convicted in the case.
Jagir Kaur’s counsel said an appeal would be filed in the high court next week.
Harpreet died under mysterious circumstances on April 20, 2000, and quickly cremated. The main complainant, Kamaljit Singh, turned hostile once but reaffirmed the charges later. He claimed Harpreet was six months pregnant at the time and was murdered Jagir Kaur’s behest.
The CBI framed several charges, including criminal conspiracy, abortion without the woman’s consent, wrongful confinement, kidnapping and murder. Kamaljit claimed he was Harpreet’s husband and the father of the stillborn child. He hails from Begowal, Jagir Kaur’s ancestral village.