The ghost of her daughter Harpreet Kaur, who was allegedly killed with an overdose of sleeping pills on April 17 last, continues to haunt Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee president Bibi Jagir Kaur.On Friday, prime witness Dr Balwinder Sohal told the court of Additional Session Judge S.P. Bangar that he had provided the sedatives on the orders of Bibi Jagir Kaur.Sohal said that on the morning of April 17, Paramjit Singh, a close aide of Bibi, had called him up and said that Bibi wanted him to come to Jasdil Mansion in Phagwara along with some sleeping pills.Accordingly, Sohal said, he had delivered 250 tablets of a sedative at Bibi’s house. Once there, Paramjit and Dalbir Kaur grounded around 30-35 sleeping pills and mixed the powder with a vegetable curry that was later served to Harpreet.Initially, the doctor said, Harpreet was reluctant to eat her dinner. She agreed to eat only after the duo promised to take her to Chandigarh and get her married to her lover Kamaljit, whose baby she was expecting at that time. Harpreet fainted soon after having the food.Paramjit then called up Bibi and told her that the sleeping pills had been given to Harpreet. This, Sohal said, took place around 11 pm on April 17. After that, the doctor said, he fell asleep only to be woken up by Paramjit at around 1 pm with the news that Harpreet had died. Paramjit once again called up Bibi to convey the news, saying that he had felt Harpreet’s pulse to confirm the death.The SGPC chief, who came to the court accompanied by Akali legislator Surjit Singh Rakhra and senior leader Azab Singh Muhmalpur, alleged the case was politically motivated.Talking to reporters, she said Dr Sohal has been threatened to testify against her by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), which enjoys the patronage of the Congress government. SAD (A) members, in turn, held a protest rally outside the district court. They demanded that Bibi should resign from the presidentship of SGPC following the testimony.
