After eight years, trial begins in Sippy Sidhu murder case; first eyewitness backs prosecution’s claim

The eyewitness testified in the Special CBI Court of Alka Malik, Additional District and Sessions Judge, and while supporting the prosecution, also identified the accused Kalyani Singh, in the court.

According to the CBI chargesheet, the eyewitness (name withheld due to security reasons), during investigation, had disclosed that “he had seen accused Kalyani in Sector 27 park on September 20, 2015, in the evening. He also saw one unknown person entering the park and firing two gunshots at the deceased (Sippy Sidhu). Thereafter, he also saw the accused Kalyani Singh firing two gunshots at the deceased to kill him”.

“Further, the eyewitness had also seen accused Kalyani and unknown assailants running away from the spot in two different vehicles. He had led the CBI team to the said spot and had correctly explained the sequence of events and identified the scene of crime,” the chargesheet added.

The special CBI Court of Chandigarh, on May 4, had framed charges against Kalyani and ordered that a prima facie case for commission of offences punishable under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 302 (murder) and Section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of Indian Penal Code, is made out. Kalyani was accordingly given the chargesheet to which she pleaded not guilty and demanded a trial.

Sidhu’s bullet-riddled body was found at a park at Sector 27 on September 20, 2015. He was the grandson of the late justice S S Sidhu, a former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge. Kalyani is the daughter of retired high court justice Sabina. Sippy Sidhu’s family had accused Kalyani of murdering him.

The murder case was initially investigated by the Chandigarh Police.