As Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore has accorded pardon to engineer Sukhwinderjit Singh’s murder convicts — his wife Neki Nalwa and her paramour Himmat Singh ‘Brandy’ — the victim’s mother says she feels shattered.
“This is injustice to us. The decision has brought back flashes of the entire incident, and I feel shattered.” Rajinder Kaur, 70, whose husband passed away during the course of the trial, told HT.
The high-profile case dates back to December 4, 2005, when Sukhwinderjit, an engineer with QuarkCity, was shot dead. He was out on an evening stroll with his wife Neki in Sector 69, near their house, when he was killed.
Police cracked the case within days, and Neki and Brandy have been in jail since December 2005.
They were sentenced to life term in June 2012, and remain lodged in the Rupnagar jail.
Their appeal against the sentence is pending before the high court, but the governor has already accepted their plea for mercy and remitted their remaining sentence under Section 161 of the Constitution, as per pardon orders issued on May 22.
The Rupnagar jail authorities are awaiting completion of some formalities before the release (see box).
Rajinder Kaur had tears in her eyes: “My husband Inderjeet Singh died fighting the battle for 10 years. My son will never come back, and I will have to live with that pain. But the injustice of letting off Neki and Brandy is salt on our wounds.”
She added, “My husband had got a neuro disease in 2013 and was bedridden for seven months before dying in April 2015. I also don’t keep well. I am staying alone with my grandson who is in a very crucial stage of his life and is pursuing his senior secondary studies. My husband used to slog in the courts to get justice.”
“Now I don’t know what to do and whom to approach.”
{{/usCountry}}“Now I don’t know what to do and whom to approach.”
{{/usCountry}}She sought clarity on how a decision for remission of sentence could be given when the appeal against conviction is pending with the high court . “I will consult my advocate.”
FORMALITIES BEFORE RELEASE
Rupnagar jail superintendent GS Sarowa said he had received the orders of pardon granted by Punjab governor to murder convicts Neki Nalwa and Himmat Singh from the secretary of the state home department.
He said that both will have to furnish bail bonds of Rs 30,000 each before the district magistrates (DM) of their respective home districts, Amritsar for Neki and SAS Nagar for Himmat Singh. Then, the DMs will issue their release orders.