Former Batala SP wanted for abetting suicide arrested in Zirakpur

SP alleged abetting 23-year-old Loveleen Kaur's fatal jump from his flat in Zirakpur

Derabassi, June 27: Superintendent of police (SP) Mohan Lal was finally arrested on Wednesday for allegedly abetting 23-year-old Loveleen Kaur's fatal jump from his flat in Zirakpur on May 17. A 50-year-old married man, Lal is alleged to have kept the Gurdaspur woman at his flat and raped her after a ‘fake’ wedding and the promise of a police job.
Police said Lal gave himself in near a resort around 1 pm, having arrived in his private vehicle and civil clothes.
Posted at Batala at the time of the crime, Lal was booked on Monday on the complaint of Loveleen’s father Lakhwinder Singh, a head constable who worked under Lal when he was posted at Batala. Lakhwinder had initially caved under the officer’s pressure but fleshed out the allegations after a human rights organisation also backed him.
Dera Bassi SP (detective) Balwinder Singh Brar, who heads the special investigation team (SIT) in the case, said the arrest became possible after the police “mounted tremendous pressure by conducting raids at the possible hideouts of SP Mohan Lal in Rajpura and surrounding villages”. Brar said that Lal, who was transferred from his post as SP (headquarters) at Batala to the Punjab Police crime branch HQ in Chandigarh after the suicide, was on leave since. “We will now seek his remand from the court tomorrow (Thursday),” Brar said.

As for the addition of charges of rape, assault and evidence-destruction, Brar said that would be done after getting the forensic report of Loveleen’s viscera and interrogation of Lal. Sources have said the accused SP or his wife thrashed Loveleen before she jumped and they removed bloodstains from the balcony as they fled.