2015 Kotkapura Police Firing case: Day after SIT summons Badal, Mann minister says govt set to deliver justice

The SIT, headed by Additional Director General of Police L K Yadav, has summoned Badal to appear before it on August 30. Badal was the deputy chief minister in SAD-BJP government and also held the home portfolio when police had opened fire on people protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot. Two people were killed in police firing on protesters in Behbal Kalan and a few were injured in Kotkapura.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal Friday said: “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government, which has come to power with a promise of bringing about a change, will deliver justice (in police firing cases) very soon and all perpetrators of this crime will be taken to task for their sin”.

On whether the police was preparing to arrest Badal, Dhaliwal said, “The law will take its own course”.

Badal, while claiming that he was yet to receive the summons by the SIT, on Thursday had said that not him, but the SDM concerned, had ordered police firing at protestors in Kotkapura.

Dhaliwal, however, said, “He (Badal) is  lying. No police officer can open fire without taking permission from CM or home minister. Now, the SIT has summoned Badal and all facts will be cleared during a fair investigation.”

He also dared Badal to clarify if the officers present at the Kotkapura on the day of the firing were in contact with him. “On whose order did the officers fire? Did he order the officers to fire? As home minister, was he informed by the authorities? If the officers themselves fired, what action was taken by him as home minister, against them,” asked Dhaliwal.

The minister also accused former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh of being “hand in glove” with the Badal family to protect his vested interests, that prevented a fair probe into the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. He said that for seven years the Sikh sangat was “misled by these two families, but now justice will be delivered”.

The minister, accompanied by party MLAs Manwinder Singh Giaspura, and Gurpreet Gogi, said that it was unfortunate that perpetrators of the sacrilege, and those killed in subsequent police firing, have not yet been brought to book. He said that neither then then ruling Akali Dal nor the subsequent Congress government, helmed by Amarinder Singh and later Charanjit Singh Channi, cared about the sentiments of the Sikh sangat . “Whole of Punjab knows that Badals and Captain were hand-in-glove with each other. Due to their mutual understanding, no punishment was given to culprits in Bargari and Behbal Kalan incidents,” he added.

Dhaliwal said that Amarinder Singh had taken an oath holding the holy ‘Gutka Sahib’, pledging bring closure to the sacrilege cases and justice to the families of two people shot during the subsequent protests. “But, due to his understanding with Badals, he did not act. Even Mohinder Pal Bittu, accused in the 2015 sacrilege incident case was killed in jail during Congress regime when Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was home minister, but an investigation into the case was never done,” Dhaliwal alleged.

Earlier, Badal on Thuirsday had alleged that the Congress and the AAP told lies targeting the Akali government on the sacrilege issue and pressed all the investigation teams but none of their charges was found to be true.

Recently, the SIT had questioned former DGP Sumedh Saini, who has been named as an accused in the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing incidents.

Last month, the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a bunch of petitions filed by Saini and other accused police officers against the Punjab Police probe into the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing.

Saini and others had demanded quashing of the FIR and chargesheet filed by the SIT and that the case be transferred to the CBI.