A 38-year-old Kurali man is on the run after poisoning his family that left his 12-year-old daughter dead and 14-year-old son battling for life.
His desire for a life with his mistress drove the accused, Kulwinder Singh, to eliminate his family, according to his wife, Pinky Devi, 34, who escaped the murder bid by thwarting her husband’s attempt to poison her.
In her statement, Devi told the police that she married Kulwinder, a resident of Nangal Singha village, Kurali, in 2008. They had two children from the wedlock — a 14-year-old son, Pardeep Singh, and a 12-year-old daughter, Khushpreet Kaur.
Pardeep was a Class-8 student at Government Senior Secondary School in Sahauran village, and Khushpreet a Class-6 student at Government Senior Secondary School, Kurali, she said.
Devi alleged that Kulwinder had an extra-marital relationship with a woman due to which he had become embittered towards her and her children. His illicit relationship would lead to frequent altercations at home, and he would also routinely thrash her and her children.
Even on Saturday afternoon, when her children returned home from school, Kulwinder started beating them up. In a fit of rage, he mixed poison in a soft drink, and forced her and her children to consume it.
Devi said she put up a fight and managed to avoid consuming the poisoned drink, but her husband forcibly made her children consume it, causing them to collapse on the floor.
Alarmed by the situation, Kulwinder consumed the remaining drink, before fleeing.
Devi said she raised the alarm, following which her brother-in-law Gurpreet Singh came to their rescue and rushed them to the civil hospital in Phase 6, Mohali.
But sensing Khushpreet’s critical condition, doctors referred her to Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32. However, she succumbed during treatment.
Kurali Sadar station house officer (SHO) Akash Sharma said the accused’s son continues to remain under treatment at the Mohali civil hospital. His wife was also examined and is stated to be stable.
The Kurali Sadar police have booked the accused under Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of his wife.
“The accused is on the run. A manhunt has been launched to nab him,” said the SHO.