New forensic panel to help probe death of judge's wife

The Haryana government set up a special board of forensic experts to probe the circumstances leading to the death of Gurgaon Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ravneet Garg's wife last week, an official said Wednesday.

Sources said the judge's peon and driver have told investigators that Garg used to stay away from his house even during the night and he and his wife often had heated altercations.

The bullet-riddled body of Garg's wife Geetanjali was found lying near a park in the Police Lines area here July 18.

The panel announced by the government would provide expert opinion to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the evidence collected in the case.

"The panel comprises T.D. Dogra, former director of AIIMS and presently vice-chancellor of SGT University, Gurgaon; S.K. Dhattarwal, professor of forensic medicine at PGIMS, Rohtak; and Sanjay Narula, head of the team which conducted Geetanjali's post-mortem," an official said.

The panel has been authorised to take advice from any agency regarding the matter.

The SIT probing the case interrogated Garg's personal staff, including his peon and driver. Sources said thye revealed that the judge had strained relations with Geetanjali.

Denying their involvement in the murder, the driver and the peon said the CJM and Geetanjali often had heated altercations, sources said.

While the peon said that Geetanjali and the CJM's cousin Heena had even come to blows at a point of time, the driver reportedly said on several occasions the CJM used to stay away from his house even during the night.

Geetanjali's brother Pradeep Aggarwal lodged a first information report against Garg and his parents, accusing them of murdering her.

Alleging dowry harassment, Garg's in-laws alleged that they provided two cars to him on his and his family's demand. Besides, Rs.2 lakh were delivered to him at the time of the admission of his daughters to a school in May.