Police said KJ Singh (right) was found with his throat slit, while his mother, Gurcharan Kaur, is believed to have been strangled.

PUNJAB Updated: Sep 23, 2017 18:14 IST

KJ Singh’s (right) murder came to light around 1pm when a visitor went inside the house after getting no response at the gate.
KJ Singh’s (right) murder came to light around 1pm when a visitor went inside the house after getting no response at the gate.(HT Photos)

MOHALI: One of Chandigarh’s senior journalists, K J Singh, 64, and his 92-year-old mother, Gurcharan Kaur , were found murdered in their home in Mohali on Saturday afternoon. Unidentified men are believed to have entered the house in Phase 3B2 late on Friday night and attacked the duo who lived by themselves in the house.

While Singh, who had wor ked with TOI between 2000 and 2005, was found lying on a bed on blood-soaked sheets, Kaur was strangulated. The attackers stabbed Singh five times in the stomach and also slit his throat. Valuables, including a car, wallets, a TV and Singh’s cellphone, were missing. During his long journalistic career, Singh had worked with top newspaper editions in Chandigarh, including TOI, The Indian Express and The Tribune. He had left the profession about eight years ago to look after his mother.

Mohali SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal said, “The accused persons took away a Ford Ikon car and an LED TV from the house, besides some jewellery that Gurcharan Kaur wore daily”.

Singh’s wallet and cell phone are also missing.He was not in habit of keeping cash at home and mostly used debit and credit cards for payments, said family members.

Chahal, however, refused to attribute the murders to robbery as a number of valuables, including cameras and laptops, were left untouched by the killers. Senior police officials told TOI that they were not discounting the possibility of there being some other motive behind the gruesome killings and would be able to give more details only after further investigation into the matter.

The double murder came to light at around 12.30pm on Saturday when Singh’s nephew, Ajay Pal Singh, and Singh’s sister, reached the house to deliver lunch. When no one answered the doorbell, they entered the house by re leasing the latch of the metal door. They found blood on the floor and tried calling on Singh’s phone which was switched off.They then called the cops.

Police officers believe that Singh was stabbed in the stomach multiple times as soon as he opened the door to the intruders on Friday night.

Forensic experts told TOI that from the blood stains and signs of struggle, it seemed as if the intruders left Singh on floor assuming he is dead and then attacked his mother. The investigators believe that Singh got up after he was stabbed and walked to his room with blood still coming out of his stomach. The intruders may have followed him there and slit his throat.

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SIT formed

On directive from Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, police set up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the double murder.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/senior-journalist-kj-singh-mother-murdered-in-mohali/story-lljShIjYJVWCbvgqs6XL1K.html