Murder in the Hills

Harsh’s wife Renu Baljee has submitted a plea in the Shimla High Court asking for a reinvestigating of the case by the CBI.

Baljee, owner of a leading restaurant in Shimla was shot dead on his way home. ‘‘Two gunshots were fired at him, while he was driving the vehicle. One hit him in the head. The car was found parked in the middle of the road. Somebody known to our family was passing by when he saw my husband,’’ says Renu.

The police arrested a Delhi-based businessman and acquaintance of Baljee, IP Chaudhary, on murder charges. ‘‘They suspected him and had prepared a case against him. But later, because of non-completion of the chargesheet against him within the stipulated time period of 90 days, he was released on bail and later discharged from all charges,’’ says Renu.

Finally in February 1998, the Supreme Court ordered the CID wing of the Himachal Police to investigate the case. When the CID investigation didn’t yield much, Renu again moved a petition in the High Court pleading with the High Court to monitor the investigation. Her petition was amended and the case was finally handed over to Central Bureau of Investigation in December 1999.

FROM the bullet, which killed Harsh Baljee, the CBI managed to identify the weapon from which it was fired. During the investigation, the CBI zeroed in on a certain Sandeep Singh, who was in the custody of the Hissar police. The weapon found on him, the CBI says, was the one that was used to kill Baljee.

Despite the evidence and its claims, the CBI failed to prepare charges against Singh and kept demanding extensions from the High Court to submit their report. The CBI finally filed a chargesheet about two years ago.

‘‘Though they had been saying that it was a hired killing, they have not said who hired Sandeep Singh to kill my husband,’’ says Renu. Meanwhile, her petition in the High Court, requesting a reinvestigation, is expected to come up for hearing only next year.