UDHAMPUR: A son of a top businessman and an undertrial prisoner, the main accused in the infamous 2009 Amandeep murder case, today allegedly committed suicide inside the district jail here, a police officer said.
Jatinder Singh (34) alias 'Raja', son of an influential businessman Nagar Singh, was found hanging inside his cell at the Udhampur district jail at around 5 PM, he said.
He was immediately shifted to a hospital where he was declared as brought dead, the officer said.
Amandeep was shot dead at his home in Shashtri Nagar locality of Jammu on August 29, 2009 allegedly by Raja.
Amandeep's mother and former National Conference MLC Deepinder Kaur was an eyewitness to the alleged murder of her son.
Confirming the death of the accused by hanging, Senior Superintendent of police Udhampur Rayees Mohammad Bhat said a probe has been ordered into the incident and investigation initiated.
Six police officers, including the then SSP Jammu Manohar Singh, were suspended by the government for their alleged role in fudging the evidence and changing the weapon of offence. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the casse.
On September 28, 2009, the SIT had arrested the then SSP Jammu Manohar Singh, SHO of Gandhi Nagar police station Sultan Mirza and Sub-Inspector Satnam Singh in connection with the case.
In 2014, Manohar, who had been accused of swapping the weapon of offence in custody, was released from Jammu's high- security Kotbalwal Jail following a conditional bail given by the apex court after spending four years and eight months behind the bars.
The Supreme Court had given conditional bail to the officer on the ground that he shall remain outside of the state of J&K.
In September 2015, the state government reinstated Singh and posted him with the office of the Principal Resident Commissioner (PRC), J&K government, New Delhi.
Last month, he was transferred and posted as Commanding Officer of 24th battalion of the Indian Reserve Police against an available vacancy.