Amritpal Kaur v. State Of Punjab

-1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH (123-2) CRM-M-61044-2025 (O&M) Date of Decision: 05.3.2026 Amritpal Kaur ......Petitioner

Versus

State of Punjab and another .....Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE KIRTI SINGH

Present:

Mr. Arshit Goel, Advocate for the petitioner.

Ms. Aakanksha Gupta, AAG, Punjab.

Mr. P.S.Dhaliwal, Advocate for respondent No. 2.

**** KIRTI SINGH , J. (ORAL) 1.

Prayer in the present petition filed under Section 482 BNSS of 2023, is for grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioner, in case FIR No. 17 dated 10.7.2025, under Sections 108 and 3(5) of BNS, registered at Police Station G.R.P. Patiala, District Government Railway Police, Revenue District Patiala.

2.

The translated version of the FIR is reproduced below:- "Statement of xxxxxxxx wife of Kulwant Singh resident of Dhamo Majra, PS Patiala, District Patiala aged about 40 years, Mobile No. 85588xxxxx. Stated that I am resident of aforesaid address. I am doing stitching work at my home. I have two children, one daughter and one son. The elder daughter, deceased xxxxxxxx, was aged about 23 years and younger son, Pritpal Singh is aged about 22 years. My husband Kulwant Singh is working at the house of Mr. Dhillon, who is owner of Ajuba Palace. My daughter xxxxxxxx had solemnized love marriage with Dharminder Singh son of Jagsir Singh resident of village Dhamo Majra, in the year 2021. In the year 2022 one son, namely Gurfateh Singh was born to my daughter and in the year 2024 one daughter, namely Ravneet Kaur was born to her, who was aged about 8 months. My daughter was working at a

-2cloth shop at Adalat Bazar and my son-in-law Dharminder Singh is driving a taxi. Due to vacations in school my daughter and son-inlaw, along with their children, were staying at my house. On dated 08.07.2025, at 9:00 PM, my daughter and son-in-law left for their home along with their children. At about 9:30 PM I and my husband went to deliver some luggage of my daughter which they had inadvertently left back. My son-in-law Dharminder Singh, sisters-inlaw (nanads) of my daughter, namely Beant Kaur and Jassu Kaur, were present at their home and when we entered inside their home then we heard the cries of my daughter. My son-in-law was saying to my daughter that 'I will maintain such relations with my (girl) friend and in case you have any objection to the same then you should commit suicide by throwing yourself in front of a train.'

On hearing this I and my husband rushed inside the room and we saw that my son-in-law had held my daughter from hair and her sisters-in-law (Nanads). Beant Kaur and Jassu Kaur were slapping her. My sonin-law said that since the day she has entered our home there has been continuing disharmony and everything would fall in place if she would go and die somewhere. While weeping, my daughter told us that you should go back to your home and this fighting is a routine of our home. We made our daughter and son-in-law to understand and came back home. On dated 08.07.2025, at about 12:00 PM, the sister-in-law (Nanads) of my daughter, namely Beant Kaur, telephonically informed me that at about 10:00 AM my daughter had gone to drop her son at school and she has not returned back and her mobile phone is also switched off.

On this I went to their home and both the sisters-in-law (Nanads) of my daughter, namely Beant Kaur and Jassu Kaur, were found present at their home. They told me that Gurpreet Kaur has gone without informing us. On this I telephonically called my son-in-law. I and my son-in-law went to the house of the friend of my daughter, namely Shivani, who is residing at Tripuri. She told us that I do not know anything about her. Thereafter my son-in-law received a phone call from somebody known to him that one girl and a girl child have met with an accident with a train. I and my son-in-law started on our respective vehicles. My son-in-law was driving his motor-cycle in front of me and I followed him on my scooter.

On the railway track, at near Gurudwara Guru Bahadur Sahib, I saw that my son-in-law was holding the head of my daughter in his lap and my grand-daughter (DOHTI) was barely breathing. She was shifted to Rajinder Hospital, Patiala by general public. Thereafter my sonin-law shifted the dead body of my daughter to his home. The ladies from his neighborhood told me that fighting with her and beating your daughter was a routine. After sometime the police arrived and they took the dead body of my daughter in their possession. Photography and videography was done. After sometime you arrived along with your colleagues and after investigation the police party shifted the dead body to Rajinder Hospital. Today I have come present before you, at Rajinder Hospital, Patiala, for recording my statement.

-3earlier working with Pandher Car Driving Training School, who have their shop at near Gurudwara Dukh Niwaran Sahib. The wife of the owner of the driving school, whose name is not known to me, who is aged about 30-32 years, was having illicit relation with my son-in-law. My daughter would often tell me that due to his illicit relations with that lady, my husband intends to throw me out of the matrimonial home and give beatings to me. She had also shown their chat to me in her phone. Later on my son-in-law, in a fit of anger, destroyed the phone of my daughter and gave beatings to her. The damaged phone, marked "VIVO", is with my son-in-law. My son-in-law had started beating my daughter within one year of marriage. During those days my son-in-law was employed with Pandher Car Driving Training School.

The entire dispute was due to his illicit relations. Whenever my daughter used to raise objection against the illicit relationship then my son-in-law and the sisters-inlaw of my daughter used to beat her. I had moved many applications in this regard at Police Station Pasiana. I will later on produce the record pertaining to the same. My son-in-law, namely Dharminder Singh and his sisters, namely Beant Kaur and Jassu Kaur gave beatings to her during the night on 08.07.2025 and had abetted her to committed suicide. Because of this reason, on being harassed by them and due to the illicit relations of my son-in-law, my daughter, along with my grand-daughter, has committed suicide by throwing herself in front of the train. They are responsible for their death. Legal action may be initiated against them."

3.

Learned counsel for the petitioner inter alia submits that the petitioner has been falsely implicated in the present case on the allegations that there was a dispute between the deceased and her husband due to the alleged illicit relationship of the petitioner with the husband of the deceased. It is submitted that the petitioner was not named in the present FIR, but was nominated as an accused after a delay of 05 days from the registration of the FIR. It is also submitted that there is no material on record to establish the alleged offences against the petitioner. There was no abetment or instigation on her part to force the deceased to commit suicide. It is submitted that the petitioner is ready to join investigation and cooperate with the investigating agency.

4.

Per contra, the learned State counsel as well as the learned counsel for respondent No. 2 oppose the present petition.

-45.

It is submitted that specific allegations have been levelled against the petitioner that she was having illicit relationship with the husband of the deceased due to which there was a dispute between the deceased and her husband on account. Therefore, the petitioner is involved in the abetment of suicide of the deceased and has thus actively participated in the commission of the offence. It is, therefore, averred that the custody of the petitioner is required for further investigating the matter as well as to determine the exact sequence of events. Accordingly, it is prayed that keeping in view gravity of offences, the present petition be dismissed. 6.

Heard the rival submissions made by learned counsel for the parties.

7.

In the present case, the complainant, who is the mother of the deceased, has attributed a specific role to the petitioner in the chain of circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident. It is the specific allegation that the husband of the deceased was maintaining illicit relations with the petitioner and that on account of the said relationship, the deceased was subjected to harassment and matrimonial discord. The allegations further suggest that the continuous dispute arising out of the said relationship had caused severe mental distress to the deceased, which ultimately culminated in the tragic incident wherein the deceased along with her minor daughter allegedly jumped in front of a moving train. 8.

The allegations levelled against the petitioner disclose a prima facie link between her conduct and the circumstances leading to the commission of the offence. Moreover, the investigation in the matter is still at a nascent stage. The exact nature of the relationship between the petitioner and the husband of the deceased, the extent of her involvement, and the

-5sequence of events leading to the unfortunate incident are matters which require thorough investigation.

9.

Therefore, having regard to the gravity and the societal impact of the alleged offences, and in view of the material on record, this Court is not inclined to grant the concession of anticipatory bail to the petitioner, since grant of such relief at this stage might prejudice a free, fair and effective investigation.

10.

Accordingly, the instant petition stands dismissed. 11.

Needless to say that nothing observed hereinabove shall be construed as an expression on the merits of the case. 12.

Pending miscellaneous application(s), if any, also stands disposed of.

(KIRTI SINGH) JUDGE March 05, 2026 Gurpreet Singh Whether speaking/reasoned :

Yes/No Whether reportable :

Yes/No