Highlight: THE SIT NOMINATED FIVE IN MALLKE INCIDENT AND SIX IN GURUSAR INSTANCE

RAJAY DEEP

Bathinda

The state government’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sacrilege cases has filed the challan in the two such cases held at Mallke village of Moga and Gurusar village of Bathinda district. The challans were presented in Baghapurana and Phul courts, respectively. In the first one presented at Baghapurana for Mallke incident, the SIT nominated five persons including the alleged prime executer Prithi Singh, a member of 45-member Dera Sacha Sauda’s executive committee. In the second one presented at Phool court for Gurusar incident, the SIT challan named six persons. The police challans clearly indicated that the series of crime was executed by some dera ‘premis’ after receiving the directions from the dera only. Three key accused, Pardeep Kaler, Sandeep Bareta and Harsh Dhuri in Gurusar case are still absconding, and non bailable warrants have already been issued by the Phul court, as learnt. And for them, the SIT would file the supplementary challan against them after their arrest, informed a member of the SIT. DIG Ranbir Singh Khatra, who heads the SIT, speaking to media persons informed that the challans were filed before the respective courts after taking permission from the Punjab government, which was mandatory for cases having Section 295A (intended to outrage religious feelings).

Sources in the police department informed that Prithi Singh (in Malke case) and Jatindervir Arora (in Gurusar case) have already recorded their confession before the court. Reports suggested that Prithi Singh after getting directions from the dera functionaries had deputed Amardeep and Mithu for the task, while two men, Satta and Davinder, arranged the copy of the holy book. It is pertinent to mention that the torn pages of Guru Granth Sahib were found in Moga in November 2015, after a similar case in Bargari following which cases were registered. The sacrilege instances were projected as key issue in previous Vidhan Sabha polls. After the SAD-BJP government changed in 2017, the Congress government in Punjab replaced Justice (retd) Zora Singh commission with Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh Commission. And the report of Ranjit Singh Commission had rocked the state Vidhan Sabha. After the resolution passed in Vidhan Sabha, the state had withdrawn the cases from CBI and constituted a yet another SIT (apart from the one led by Khatra), which has recorded the statement of former CM Parkash Singh Badal, former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, and even the bollywood star Akshay Kumar.

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