MOGA MURDERS: Armoury in-charge constable suspended for negligence

Police on Wednesday suspended for negligence the duty in-charge of the armoury from where an AK-47 rifle and 75 cartridges were stolen by a 52-year-old head constable

Police on Wednesday suspended for negligence the duty in-charge of the armoury from where an AK-47 rifle and 75 cartridges were stolen by a 52-year-old head constable who shot his wife and three members of in-laws’ family dead over a dispute at Said Jalalpur village in Moga district’s Dharamkot block on February 16.

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Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harmanbir Singh Gill issued the suspension orders against constable Balveer Singh who was deployed at the armoury at civil lines.

The department has claimed that head constable Kulwinder Singh, the accused, stole the keys of the armoury when the on-duty constable was taking a bath.

“Kulwinder decamped with the AK-47 rifle and ammunition which he used in executing the crime. He got away before the personnel deployed there could realise the rifle and cartridges were stolen,” a senior police official had said after initial claim that the cop was issued the weapon as he was accompanying a special task force team.

Besides his wife Rajwinder Kaur (45), Kulwinder sprayed bullets at his mother-in-law Sukhwinder Kaur (65), brother-in-law Jaskaran Singh (42) and the latter’s wife Inderjit Kaur (40).

Kulwinder was booked under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and various sections of Arms Act at the Dharamkot police station. A case of theft was also registered against him at the Moga city-1 police station a day later.

“Further investigation is on,” said Moga SP Harinder Pal Singh Parmar.