Ex-sarpanch takes his life in courtroom

Mohali: A 55-year-old former sarpanch allegedly committed suicide in a courtroom in Kharar on Wednesday.
Around 1pm, Kharar resident Karam Singh consumed poisonous tablets in the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate. He was rushed to Kharar civil hospital, from where he was referred to PGI, Chandigarh. He died in the evening, leaving behind a three-page suicide note blaming 15 people, including real estate developer Jarnail Singh Bajwa, promoter of the group Sunny Enclave for his death.On the complaint of his son Arvinder Singh, the police booked Bajwa and his employee Baljinder Singh for abetment to suicide.
Arvinder Singh told police that Bajwa had borrowed crushing machines from Karamjeet Singh at a rent of Rs 1.30 lakh per month in 2013 but had not paid him a single penny out of the due amount of Rs 61 lakh.
Kharar station house officer Vijay Kumar said, "We have booked Bajwa and his employee Baljinder Singh under section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The two are yet to be arrested."
Bajwa, on the other hand, told TOI, "I have nothing to do with the death of Karam Singh. He was part of my family. I owe nothing to him and I am not aware about any FIR registered against me." SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar assured the accused would be arrested soon. "A thorough and transparent investigation will be carried out and the guilty punished according to the law," he said.