A day after re-induction of inspector general of police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh as a member of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the sacrilege-firing incidents, the probe team filed challan against six people in the Kotkapura firing case. The SIT added names of three more cops, taking the total number of accused in the case to six.

The six accused in the Kotkapura firing case are former Akali Dal MLA Mantar Singh Brar, suspended inspector general Paramraj Singh Umranangal, former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, then Ludhiana additional deputy commissioner of police Paramjit Singh Pannu, then Kotkapura deputy superintendent of police (now SP) Baljit Singh and then Kotkapura city station house officer sub-inspector Gurdeep Singh.

The SIT said the investigations into the role of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, former director general of police Sumedh Saini, deputy inspector general Amar Singh Chahal and others were still underway. The SIT has also mentioned that it has gathered evidence of former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s visit to Mumbai in September 2015.

It was alleged that Sukhbir had met Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh there. The SIT probe found that Umranangal called Charanjit to Kotkapura. ADCP Pannu and Charanjit, along with cops from Ludhiana, left for Behbal Kalan after the Kotkapura firing, which allegedly was opened at the directions of Umranangal, in which two Sikh men were killed, the SIT probe has found.

The investigation team found the role of then Kotkapura DSP Baljit Singh and then SHO Gurdeep Singh Pandher in distorting evidence and fabrication of the records.

Umranangal was arrested by SIT on February 18. However, he was granted bail by the Faridkot district and sessions judge on March 11. He also got the blanket from the Punjab and Haryana high court in the Behbal Kalan firing case but the state has already challenged the relief.

Charanjit, who is currently in jail since January 27 after he was arrested in Behbal
Kalan firing case, was brought on the production warrant and named as an accused in the Kotkapura firing case in March this year.

In the Kotkapura incident, on the recommendations of the Ranjit Singh Commission report, a case was registered on August 7, 2018, under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Arms Act against unidentified cops. Later, the SIT added more sections, including 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information) and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) beside Section 34 (done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) in both the cases.

First Published: May 29, 2019 01:14 IST