Seven years after the sensational murder of advocate and national-level shooter Sukhmanpreet Singh alias Sippy Sidhu, the Central Beureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, 15 June, arrested Kalyani Singh, daughter of acting chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court in connection with the killing.
While the arrest was the result of a years-long investigation, Singh had been on CBI's radar for a while. According to an initial probe into the death, it had emerged that “a woman was accompanying Sidhu's killer”.
But what was the case? Why did it take CBI 6 years to make an arrest? And who is Kalyani Singh? Here is all you need to know.
2015: Sippy Sidhu's Murder
Sidhu, a national level shooter and grandson of erstwhile judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court SS Sidhu, was murdered and his bullet-riddled body was found in a park on the night of 20 September 2015.
The 34-year-old's body was recovered from a park in Sector 27 in Chandigarh. At the time of his death, Sidhu was a resident of Mohali, NDTV reported.
The killing had left the shooting fraternity shocked.
Police sources had then indicated that a local contacted them saying that a body was lying in the park, after which a team rushed to the spot.
"It was a case of murder and the police is investigating it. His body was found at around 11 pm on Sunday night in the Sector 27 park. He was probably shot dead at around 10.15 pm. His body has two or three bullet injuries," Chandigarh SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill had indicated after the crime came to light.
2016: CBI Takes Over the Investigation
In January 2016, the CBI took over the probe after the intervention of the Punjab governor, who also serves as the Chandigarh UT administrator.
The central agency had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on 13 April 2016, at the request of Chandigarh administration.
Before the investigation was transferred to the central agency, Kalyani Singh, who was then a prime suspect, was reportedly grilled twice by the Chandigarh police. The second questioning of Kalyani Singh was videotaped, The Indian Express reported.
Later that year, the central agency also announced Rs 5 lakh for anyone with clues, NDTV reported.
2017: CBI Publishes Ad, Suspects a Woman's Involvement
After the CBI took over the case, in 2017, an advertisement on the case indicated that the agency had reasons to believe that "a woman was accompanying Sippy's killer at the time of the murder."
"The said woman is also being given this opportunity to come forward and contact us if she is innocent. Otherwise it shall be presumed that she was a party to the offence," the advertisement reportedly stated.
2020: CBI Files Untraced Report
In 2020, the CBI filed an “untraced report” which noted that it did not have enough evidence to file chargesheet against Kalyani Singh. However, the report sought permission to continue investigation because of “strong suspicion on her”.
2021: CBI Increases Reward to Rs 10 Lakh
Meanwhile, as the investigation into the murder dragged on, the CBI increased the reward for clues to Rs 10 lakh in December 2021.
2022: Kalyani Singh Arrested, CBI Presents Remand Application to Court
In the remand application submitted to the Chandigarh court following Singh's arrest, the CBI stated that she was in a relationship with Sidhu which subsequently turned sour leading to the murder.
CBI indicated that Singh wanted to marry Sidhu, but her proposal was rejected by Sippy Sidhu's parents, NDTV reported. The late shooter also leaked some of her 'embarrassing' photographs to her parents and friends, CBI reportedly added.
The CBI also told the court that Kalyani contacted Sidhu "through mobile phones of other persons" two days before he was killed and coerced him into meeting her at the park where his body was found.
They met between September 18 and 20 in that park, the CBI said.
CBI suggested that "investigation has further revealed that one unknown assailant and Kalyani Singh killed Sippy Sidhu by using firearms. Thereafter, both of them were seen running from the spot."
After 'documentary material' pointing towards the affair emerged, the agency called in Singh for questioning.
During the questioning, she was allegedly “evasive” in her responses following which the CBI arrested her, the agency officials said.
"The arrested accused was produced in the court of Special Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh and remanded to four-day police custody,” a CBI spokesperson consequently said.
Who is Kalyani Singh?
Singh is one of the two daughters of acting Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Sabina Singh.
She is currently employed as a lecturer in a Chandigarh college, The Indian Express reported.
(With inputs from PTI, NDTV, Bar and Bench, and The Indian Express.)
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