Mohali: A local court Friday convicted a man for murdering his friend over a Rs 40,000 dispute linked to the sale and purchase of goats and burying the headless body near the high-security residence of then Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh in Siswan. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced Monday.The verdict was delivered by the court of additional district and sessions judge Vikrant Kumar.Deputy district attorney Hardeep Singh said the court convicted Jagir Singh alias Ghola under Section 302 of the IPC for the murder of Such Singh, a 40-year-old goatherd. However, Jagir’s two co-accused, Satnam Singh alias Sunny and Desraj alias Desa, were acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence against them.According to the prosecution, the incident took place on June 12, 2021, when Jagir Singh and Such Singh were consuming liquor in Siswan. During the gathering, an argument reportedly broke out over a Rs 40,000 dispute arising from goat trading. The altercation turned violent, and Jagir allegedly attacked Such Singh with a sword, severing his head and killing him.To conceal the crime, the accused buried the victim’s body a few feet from the then chief minister’s heavily guarded farmhouse, while the severed head was disposed of separately.The murder came to light on June 21, 2021, when Such Singh’s pet dog repeatedly led family members to the spot where the body had been buried. Acting on the information, police reached the site, exhumed the headless body and launched an investigation that led to the arrest of Jagir Singh and his associates.The case had drawn widespread attention because the body was buried close to the former chief minister’s high-security residence. While convicting Jagir Singh for murder, the court acquitted the two other accused, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish their involvement beyond reasonable doubt.The court will pronounce the sentence on Monday..
