Sippy Sidhu murder case: Eyewitness cross-examined by Kalyani’s counsel
The defence cross-examination began at 10 am and continued till 6 pm; the case was subsequently deferred till July 19 when the second witness has been summoned for recording evidence by the prosecution
The key witness in the Sippy Sidhu murder case was cross-examined by the counsel of prime accused Kalyani Singh in the special CBI court on Thursday.
The defence cross-examination began at 10 am and continued till 6 pm. The case was subsequently deferred till July 19 when the second witness has been summoned for recording evidence by the prosecution.
On Thursday, the eyewitness stood by his statements, as narrated during prosecution’s cross-examination questions earlier, and told the counsel that Kalyani fired two shots at Sippy.
After trial in the nine-year-old murder case finally began on July 9, the eyewitness had identified Kalyani in court while supporting the prosecution stand, before seeking protection, apprehending danger to his life.
The court had then directed CBI ensure proper safety arrangement for the witness immediately so as to ensure his safe return back home as well as subsequent safety and protection. His examination-in-chief was concluded.
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.
The sensational case was initially probed by the Chandigarh Police. But in 2016, it was transferred to CBI following protests by Sippy’s family. The central agency had at one point of time also filed an “untraced” report. But in June 2022, she was arrested by CBI and later charged with murder. In September 2022, she secured bail within 90 days of her arrest, considered unusual in murder cases.
Ever since, amid filing of one or the other applications by Kalyani, charges could not be framed by the special CBI court hearing the murder trial.
Finally, on May 5 this year, Kalyani, 37, was charged under Sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to protect the offender) of the Indian Penal Code, with special CBI judge Alka Malik ordering day-to-day hearings till conclusion of trial.
Ever since the trial began on July 9, she has been appearing in court daily, along with Sippy’s brother Jasmanpreet Singh Sidhu, 39, an advocate and legal adviser for SGPC.
Having been terminated from the post of assistant professor in home science at Post-Graduate Government College for Girls in Sector 42 following her arrest in June 2022, she is now employed as a part-time teacher at a private university.