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Sippy Sidhu murder case: Court adjourns hearing as witnesses absent
The last management schedule of this case was released in July last year, according to which the case was to reach its conclusion by December 2024
The Sippy Sidhu murder case, which was scheduled to be heard in the CBI court of special judge Alka Malik on Monday, was adjourned to April 21. While the case was adjourned as prosecution witnesses did not appear in court, the setting of the next scheduled date after a gap of three months has disappointment the victim’s family, who called it a “long and agonising wait for justice”.
The court adjourned the hearing with the remark, “No prosecution witness present.”
It was also stated that the court will release the updated case management schedule of the case for April. The last management schedule of this case was released in July last year, according to which the case was to reach its conclusion by December 2024.
“Today Sippy Sidhu murder case trial commenced for the first time this year as the previous date of hearing was November 28, 2024. But astonishingly, the trial has been again adjourned for three more months. We are already waiting for nine years and it has been a long wait and we are harassed,” said the victim’s brother Jasmanpreet Singh Sidhu.
Jasmanpreet added that two prosecution witnesses were summoned today out of which one appeared but he was not examined.
On the other hand, defence counsel Sartej Singh Narula said the CBI Judge had to adjourn the case as the prosecution witnesses did not appear in court. “Those raising a hue and cry should first analyse why are the prosecution witnesses not appearing in the court despite summons? What can the court do in this regard,” he said.
Kalyani out on bail since Sept 2022
National-level shooter and lawyer Sukhmanpreet Singh, better known as Sippy Sidhu, was shot dead at a park in Sector 27 on September 20, 2015. His family has accused Kalyani of killing him as they had turned down her marriage proposal.
Sippy was the grandson of late justice SS Sidhu, a former Punjab and Haryana high court judge, and Kalyani is the daughter of retired Himachal Pradesh high court judge justice Sabina.
Kalyani was arrested in June 2022 and later charged with murder.
On May 5 last year, nine years after the murder, the CBI court had ordered day-to-day hearing of the trial while framing charges against Kalyani, who has been out on bail since September 2022.
Other high-profile cases nearing completion
Court sources said the CBI court will fast track the case in April, after disposing off some high-profile cases. While the court had convicted eight police officials, including a senior IPS officer Zahur Haider Zaidi in Kotkhai custodial death case only last Saturday and will announce the quantum of sentence on January 27, several other high profile cases in the court are at the final stage and are likely to see conclusion in the next few months.
