Murdered Chandigarh boy’s kin return compensation

CHANDIGARH - The family members of five-year-old boy Khushpreet Singh, who was kidnapped and murdered for ransom here earlier this month, Thursday returned a compensation cheque after Chandigarh Administrator Shivraj Patil rejected their plea to book lax policemen for murder.

Patil, a former union home minister, refused to accept the representation made by the boy’s family that a case of murder be registered against officials of Chandigarh police for mishandling the kidnapping case which led to his murder, even after paying a ransom of Rs.400,000.

The family returned the cheque of Rs.100,000 that the Chandigarh administration had given to them earlier this week as compensation.

“We lost our son due to the indifferent handling of the matter by the Chandigarh police officials. We are seeking their dismissal from service and registration of a murder case against them. We want justice,” said Khushpreet’s distraught father Lakhbir Singh.

A magisterial probe into the incident had Wednesday indicted four police officers for treating the kidnapping case casually and not even bothering to follow proper procedure or informing senior officers.

The probe pointed out that a trap laid by police, to nab the kidnappers at the time of payment ransom near Kharar town in Punjab, 25 km from here, last month, was withdrawn at the last moment, letting the kidnappers get away with the money.

The body of the boy was found Jan 5 after he was kidnapped Dec 21.