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| | Raju Chopra murder case: Twists & turns: ‘Star’ witness turns hostile | | | JAMMU, Aug 9 (JNF): In a dramatic development in the Court of Principal Sessions Judge Jammu, main prosecution witness Harvinder Pal Singh (HP Singh)in Raju Chopra family murder case turned hostile and leveled serious allegations of torture against Special Investigation Team (SIT), creating a huge dent in the prosecution story.
SIT was constituted for the investigation of gruesome murder of Rajinder Bhushan Chopra alias Raju Cjopra, his wife Madhu Chopra, daughter Solani Chopra and two servants.
In the 11 pages statement recorded in the open court, HP Singh deposed that he was partner of RB Chopra and working as contractor of loading and unloading of cement at Railway Station Jammu. Chopra had shifted to Delhi in the year 1998 and had entrusted the business to him. In his examination-in-chief, HP Singh admitted that his statement had been recorded before a judge and that he gave the statement on the directions of police (SIT) as the police had threatened him to the extent of elimination. He further deposed that the police had also arrested his son.
Special Public Prosecutor requested the court that the witness is reverting from his earlier statement and he be declared hostile and he be permitted to cross-examine the witness.
After perusal of the records including the earlier statements of the witness recorded under section 161 and 164-A CrPC, Principal Sessions Judge Jammu Jang Bhadur Singh Jamwal permitted the Special Public Prosecutor to cross-examine the witness in view of his not toeing his earlier statements.
In his cross-examination by the Special PP, the witness deposed that on the day of occurrence he was in Srinagar and reached Jammu on the subsequent day. Police had arrested his son who had come from Delhi and was brutally physically tortured. The cops asked him to surrender and assured him that they will release his son.
On June 20, 2009, the witness went to the police station and narrated every thing to the police according to his knowledge. He deposed that the police had arrested him and he was taken to JIC also and subsequently his statement had also been recorded. He also confessed that the judge had given him time to think before the statement but at the doors of Sessions Court his death was waiting for him. The witness created furore in the court when he deposed that the police used to keep him in the police station from morning to evening and his whole business got spoiled and this process continued for three years.
The witness again deposed that the police was pressing him to make a statement according to their choice as a copy of the said statement had been handed over to him a day before. The witness categorically denied his statement recorded under section 164-A CrPC as he openly said that the said statement was recorded on the directions of the police.
Subsequently the witness denied each and every portion of the statement which was attributed to him by the Special PP in his cross-examination. The witness who was stated to be very close to deceased RB Chopra deposed that the deceased had cement factories in which the witness had no partnership/ concern. He also denied that the deceased had sent him to Srinagar regarding the works of the Railways. The witness also denied the business transactions of the deceased with Ajab Singh. He also deposed that he did not hand over any record to the police and the record was seized by police itself. The witness also gave a clean chit to Nagar Singh and did not support the prosecution version on this account. The witness further deposed that he did not lodge any complaint regarding his harassment and torture to the authorities as the police officers up to the level of DIG were pressing hard to him to support the prosecution case. Further, the police was threatening him to array as an accused.
The witness again deposed that his son Harsh Pal Singh who was student at Delhi was picked-up by the police and subjected to torture. The witness further deposed that RB Chopra had no rivalry with Nagar Singh and neither there was any business transaction between them. He further clarified that deceased Chopra was only his partner. The witness claimed that Nagar Singh never indulged in the business of loading and unloading of cement and even prior to and after the death of deceased Chopra, Nagar Singh never applied for any tender pertaining to business of Cement loading and unloading.
It is worthwhile to mention herein that HP Singh was made a star witness by the police in the much publicised Chopra family murder case but with today’s statement of HP Singh, the prosecution case has received a big-jolt according to the leading criminal lawyers of Jammu. |
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