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Shiv Sena leader’s killing: Accused’s two-day remand extended for analysing call details
Sources said repeated calls were made from the accused’s number to 81 different contacts in India and foreign countries in last one year. Suri, 58, was shot dead in a broad daylight
A local court on Tuesday extended two more days’ police remand of Sandeep Singh alias Sunny, who is accused of killing Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri.
Suri, 58, was shot dead in a broad daylight while he was protesting along with his supporters outside a temple in Amritsar on November 4. The accused had pumped four bullets into Suri’s body in presence of his security personnel and a team of Amritsar police commissionerate, including an assistant commissioner of police (ACP). Sunny was nabbed on the spot and the .32 bore pistol allegedly used while executing the crime was also recovered.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sunny was brought to Amritsar Court Complex amidst heavy security under the supervision of deputy commissioner of police (DCP-detective) Jagjit Singh Walia. Eight lawyers had presented in favour of Sunny while three counsels, including a public prosecutor, had turned up against him.
The DCP said, “After hearing the arguments from both the sides, the court has extended his two more days’ remand.”
One of the lawyers said the police had told the court that thay have received the forensic report of the accused’s mobile on Tuesday itself and a thorough examination of it was required in presence of the accused.
Sources said, “As per the mobile’s forensic report, repeated calls were made to 81 different contacts in India and foreign countries from the accused’s contact number in the last one year. There were hundreds of calls to hundreds of numbers, but these 81 contacts are suspected required to be examined.”
The accused has already ‘confessed’ to have committed the crime as he was ‘self-radicalised through social media’. Amritsar police had termed the incident ‘a hate crime’.
However, the family members of the deceased had demanded a thorough probe, including the suspected role of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh. Some purported videos showing accused Sunny with Amritpal had also surfaced after Suri’s killing. However, the Amritsar city police has already clarified that no other person’s involvement had come to the fore during their investigation so far.
A special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of DCP Walia was formed to investigate the matter. “Our investigation is still going on,” he said.
The police have so far not taken any action against the cops who were deployed in Suri’s security and those who were present at the spot at the time of incident. Earlier, the family members had demanded action against the police personnel who ‘failed to provide adequate security’ to the Shiv Sena leader.
