The Pandit family braces itself for a long court trial ahead

26 Apr 2014

The discordant notes in the musical Pandit family continue. Sibling composers Jatin and Lalit Pandit and singers Sulakshana and Vijayta Pandit are now gearing up for a long court battle for the murder of their eldest sibling Sandhya Singh. Ironically the prime suspect in this foul murder case is Sandhya's son Raghubir. The thought of the family's honour being so displayed in a courtroom is weighing heavily on the Pandits.

Says Lalit Pandit, "Yes, sadly there's going to be a court trial. And the family has to face it. Our slain sister Sandhya's son Raghubir has been charge-sheeted. The cops say they'll keep investigating further. But circumstantial evidence points to only one murder accused." Tragically the eldest Pandit sibling singer Sulakshna Pandit, now of delicate mental health, is still in the dark about the gruesome developments in the family. Says Lalit, "She won't be able to handle the shock. We're going to protect her from the tragedy for as long as possible. Sulakshana Didi has always been a mother-figure to all us siblings. We owe everything to her. Every member of the family has achieved success because of Sulakshana Didi. Speaking for myself, I feel like a son when she is proud of me." The Pandit family would still like to believe in Raghubir's innocence. "My family and I believe that he couldn't have done such a horrible thing. But we hear from people that Raghubir is a drug addict. And people under the influence of drugs are capable of any kind of behaviour." Lalit says the cops seem certain of Raghubir's guilt. "There is no other suspect as far as the cops are concerned. They are also sure that he was not alone in the crime." The Pandit family has decided to stand together and give Raghubir a chance to prove his innocence. Says Lalit, "We've decided to watch the trial. But we won't appoint a lawyer against Raghubir. From our side we'll give him a fair chance to prove his innocence. If he has not committed the crime we are hoping he'd come out of this trial unhurt. We are worried about what happens if Raghubir is proven innocent. Would the investigations come to a dead end?"