Ludhiana: Nearly two months on, school owner’s murder remains unsolved

The family said the murder had left them devastated, with their anguish deepening as the accused have neither been identified nor arrested even after more than six weeks

Nearly two months after the murder of Dhaliwal Senior Secondary School owner Iqbal Singh Dhaliwal, his elderly father, a former BSF official, continues to make rounds to police officers seeking justice and the arrest of those responsible.

Iqbal Singh was murdered on June 29 at his residence above Dhaliwal School on Budhewal Road. (HT File)

Iqbal Singh was murdered on June 29 at his residence above Dhaliwal School on Budhewal Road. According to the family, his 15-year-old son was present at home at the time, while his wife was out of station for examinations. Iqbal’s father, Shiv Charan Singh, was also away as he and his wife were undergoing treatment for knee-related ailments at a hospital. The family said the murder had left them devastated, with their anguish deepening as the accused have neither been identified nor arrested even after more than six weeks.

“I have spent my life enforcing the law, now I am seeking justice for my son,” said Shiv Charan Singh, who had served in the BSF before joining the police department.

The elderly father questioned the state of the justice system, saying that if the family of a former BSF and police official had to struggle to get justice after the murder of a son, the plight of an ordinary citizen could only be imagined.

The family has urged senior police officers to expedite the investigation, identify those involved and arrest anyone found to have a role in the murder.

They said nothing could compensate them for the loss of Iqbal, but identifying the perpetrators and bringing them to justice was the least they expected. “Swift action will help restore our faith in the system,” he added.

Jamalpur police station SHO Pramod Raj said, “The investigation is underway and the accused is yet to be identified. The police are examining CCTV footage from the area and a probe is on, but no concrete lead had emerged from the footage so far. We are hopeful of cracking the case soon.”