Retired Punjab Police AIG shoots dead son-in-law inside Chandigarh Court complex

Chandigarh: An Indian Civil Account Services (ICAS) officer was shot dead by his father-in-law, a retired assistant inspector general of the Punjab Police, at a mediation centre in the district court complex in Chandigarh on Saturday, officials said. The deceased was identified as Harprit Singh. His father-in-law, Malwinder Singh Sidhu, has been arrested, they said.

There was a matrimonial dispute between ICAS Harprit Singh, who was posted as controller of accounts in the Ministry of Agriculture in Delhi, and his wife Amitoj Kaur. Divorce proceedings have been going on since 2023. The firing incident took place at around 2 pm after the two families came to the Chandigarh district court complex in Sector 43 for the fourth mediation proceedings, the officials said.

Harprit along with his parents was present while the other side was represented by Amitoj’s father Malwinder Singh, they said. During the mediation session, Malwinder requested to go to the washroom and asked Harprit to show him the way but he took out his weapon and opened fire at his son-in-law, police said. The victim was rushed to the PGIMER, Chandigarh where he was declared dead, they said, adding that Malwinder was apprehended and the weapon was recovered from him.

A case under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act has been registered in the matter, they said. The police said they are also investigating from which entrance did the accused enter the court complex carrying a weapon. In November last year, Malwinder Singh was booked on the charge of blackmailing and extorting money from government employees. He was posted as AIG in the human rights cell of the Punjab police. Earlier, he was arrested on charges of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty and criminal intimidation.