Ludhiana: Man gets life term for Jhordan village murder

Delivering the judgment, the judge observed that “despite all attempts to evade responsibility, the undeniable truth is that an innocent elder lost his life”

Five years after the sensational Jarnail Singh murder case in Jhordan village, the district and sessions court has sentenced convict Gurvinder Singh to life imprisonment. Additional sessions judge Gurpreet Kaur awarded him life imprisonment under Section 302 of the IPC as well as under the Arms Act, besides imposing a fine of ₹15,000 on each count. In default of payment, he will undergo an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment.

The complaint was lodged by Kamaljit Kaur, daughter-in-law of the deceased, at Hathur police station. (Picture only for representational purpose)

According to the prosecution, Gurvinder Singh of Jhordan village had entered into a land deal with Jarnail Singh of the same village but despite taking full payment, he neither executed the registry nor returned the money. Several panchayat meetings were held, but the matter remained unresolved. On June 13, 2020, Gurvinder Singh, enraged by repeated pressure, shot Jarnail Singh twice in the chest with his licensed .12-bore gun, killing him on the spot.

The complaint was lodged by Kamaljit Kaur, daughter-in-law of the deceased, at Hathur police station. During investigation, police recovered the gun along with two empty cartridges. The forensic laboratory report later confirmed its use in the crime.

Public prosecutor Monika Gupta and complainant’s counsel Kuldeep Singh Mand argued for stringent punishment, while the defence sought leniency citing the convict’s responsibility towards his three minor daughters. The court, however, dismissed the plea, stating that the evidence and testimonies clearly established the guilt of the accused.

Delivering the judgment, the judge observed that “despite all attempts to evade responsibility, the undeniable truth is that an innocent elder lost his life.”

Jarnail Singh’s only son Jatinder Singh runs a finance business in Manila. At the time of the incident, his wife Kamaljit Kaur was staying with her family in Lalton Kalan for her children’s education. It was she who pursued the case relentlessly, leading to the conviction.