SANGRUR, AUG 17: The police here have so far drawn a blank in the Kiranjit Kaur and Sarup Singh murder cases. The people of the area strongly believe the police-political nexus in the Kiranjit case and the police-management link in the Sarup Singh case are responsible for the stalling progress, given that sons of party bigwigs are allegedly involved in the affair.

The residents have been keeping up the agitation to trace out the culprits. A large number of people gheraoed the offices of Barnala SSP and the Deputy Commissioner of Sangrur on August 14.

Kiranjit Kaur, a higher secondary final year student of Mehal Kalan, was gang-raped and murdered on July 29; and in the other tragedy, Sarup Singh, a security guard of the Pepsi Foods, Channo, was found hanging dead, on August 6. In the Kiranjit case, the police have one suspect Jugraj Singh alias Raju in custody, but in the Sarup Singh case, who died today, the police do not have a clue.

On Independence Day, Chand Singh Chopra, secretary of the district unit of Communist Party of India (Marxist), had to face the wrath of agitators when they did not allow him to address the gathering as they suspected the involvement of his son in the Kiranjit case.

Chopra, when contacted today, however, expressed innocence and demanded stringent action against the culprits. He said his opponents were dragging his name into the matter to tarnish his image. Asked about the alleged involvement of his son, he said was being involved merely because another accused by the same name was in police custody. He admitted that Beant Singh, a resident of Mehal Kalan, whose sons are alleged to have been involved in Kiranjit case, is his friend, but after this incident, he said, he had no connection with him.

Meanwhile, R S Gill, Inspector General, Patiala, has sought time till August 19 from the Mehal Kalan Action Committee to go into the case. The ``bhog'' and ``antim ardas'' ceremonies of the girl have been scheduled for August 20 where a large number of people are expected to join.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.