The investigation into Mehram Singh Sandhu’s kidnapping and murder case has now sprung up that the victim’s paternal and maternal relatives had an altercation two days before he went missing on October 28.
Besides this, it has been learnt that on the day of the kidnapping, Mehram’s mother Harinder Kaur had made a call to a woman working at a child care centre in Australia around 7:30am.
The woman, an acquaintance of Harinder’s husband Varinder Pal Singh, approached him and told him about the call.
He then called Harinder in India around 2:30pm the same day, and threatened to kidnap Mehram, the woman’s kin have contended.
The police said investigation had revealed that starting October 2, the couple’s matrimonial dispute was taken up by both families through their mediators, and a series of meetings were arranged at the house of Varinder Pal in Kharar.
The police claimed that as Varinder Pal was in Australia, his parents attended the meetings, while from Harinder’s side, her father Balwinder Singh took part in discussions.
They said during the meetings, the matter of Mehram’s custody was raised and Harinder’s family put forward a bill of rs 17 lakh as expenses spent on her marriage, while Varinder Pal’s family raised a bill of Rs 37 lakh citing money spent on sending Harinder to Australia.
{{/usCountry}}They said during the meetings, the matter of Mehram’s custody was raised and Harinder’s family put forward a bill of rs 17 lakh as expenses spent on her marriage, while Varinder Pal’s family raised a bill of Rs 37 lakh citing money spent on sending Harinder to Australia.
{{/usCountry}}However, during the meeting on October 26, two days before the kidnapping, no settlement took place and a heated argument ensued, even as Varinder Pal’s family claimed they would take care of Mehram. He was later kidnapped from a park in Phase 9 on October 28. His decomposed body was found in a dumping ground in Sector 69 on November 7.
Joginder Singh, a close family relative of Mehram, said he, along with a SAS Nagar councillor, had attended the last meeting on October 26. There Varinder Pal’s family refused to settle the Rs 17 lakh bill as Harinder’s family wanted, and also threatened them and Harinder’s family of dire consequences.
SAS Nagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Inder Mohan Bhatti said efforts were being made to trace the Australian woman that Harinder called to get details of the conversation.
When contacted, Sharanjit Kaur, mother of Varinder Pal, denied having any role in the case, but confirmed that the meetings were held to sort out the matrimonial dispute, and meanwhile Mehram got kidnapped.