Twenty-two years old Harmit Singh who had allegedly murdered four members of his family — his father, step-mother, pregnant step-sister and her three–year-old child - at Adarshnagar in Ballupur, Dehradun on Diwali night was remanded in judicial custody after being presented in the court on Saturday, informed Cantt Police Station in-charge inspector VK Jetha while taking to The Pioneer. In the investigation, it has been cleared beyond any point of doubt that Harmit Singh had hacked to death his father Jai Singh, step-mother Kulwant Kaur, step-sister Harjeet Kaur and her daughter Sukhmani on Diwali night, he added.
Moreover, the bodies of the four victims were cremated at lakhibagh cremation ground. Ajit Singh, nephew of Jai Singh, lit the funeral pyres of Jai Singh and his wife Kulwant, while eight-year- old son of Harjeet Kaur performed the last rites for his mother and sister.
Jetha said that after receiving a written complaint from Ajit Singh, nephew of Jai Singh, a case under Section 302 and 307 of IPC was registered in the Cantt police station. After collecting evidences related to the case and completing thorough investigation, Harmit Singh was produced in the court from where he was sent for judicial custody. His statement under Section 164 of CrPC will be recorded before the magistrate soon.
Sources said that police had questioned Harmit Singh’s mother and his brother about the incident. Both said they were unaware of the incident till police informed them. They were released following interrogation.
Inspector Jetha said that they were busy producing Harmit in the court on Saturday and sending him in the jail as per the court order. Based on Harmit’s information, teams had earlier recovered a knife. Though teams had collected other evidences related to the case they are further working on several angles. Whether Harmit’s mother was involved in the case or not is being investigated too. Mobile phone of Harmit has been recovered and teams are reviewing the recorded conversation. If required, police teams will be deployed in Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) to grill Harmit’s mother, his brother and other family members.
The inspector said that during the interrogation, Harmit was found changing statements frequently. He was trying to protect himself as a patient of mental disorder. Harmit had confessed his crime and said that he had hacked to death his four family members.
Being the step-son, he was being ill-treated by the family members, Harmit told. He did not kill his nephew Kamal because he loved him.
Single eye witness eight- year-old child Kamal who was seriously injured also recounted the sequence of things to the police.
The investigation revealed that Harmit had threatened Kamal not to disclose anything and also asked him to say when questioned that three/ four unidentified persons had committed the murders. Police are working on several angles, including the one related to the property feud.