SIT summons Badal, Sukhbir, Akshay Kumar
CHANDIGARH/FARIDKOT: The special investigation team (SIT), probing 2015 police firing at anti-sacrilege protesters at Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot district, has summoned former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal and actor Akshay Kumar.
While Badal has been asked to appear before the SIT, headed by inspector general Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, on November 16, Sukhbir has been summoned on November 19. Akshay has been asked to come on November 21 to the Circuit House in Amritsar.
The summon orders have been issued separately to the three by the SIT head, said an official release. “The law is equal to everyone and our investigation will be totally fair, impartial and transparent,” said the IG
SAD spokesman Daljit Singh Cheema said the party would announce action course after receiving the summons. The SIT is probing police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan after a series of sacrilege incidents in the state in 2015. In police firing at Behbal Kalan, two persons were killed.
Notably, the actor’s name was mentioned in Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents. According to the report, a meeting between former deputy chief minister Sukhbir and Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with the release of latter’s movie ‘MSG’ was held at Akshay’s flat in Mumbai.
The meeting was held before the pardon given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case. However, Akshay had denied all these allegations.
The summons have been issued under Section 160 of the CrPC, requiring attendance at investigation, relating to the Bargari sacrilege case and the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents, the release added. The notice says the presence of the aforesaid person is necessary for the purpose of inquiry into the above-mentioned offence and person summoned needed to give such information relating to the alleged offence as he may possess.
The SIT had earlier examined ADGP Jitendra Jain, then IG Bathinda; IGP Paramraj Singh Umaranangal; then commissioner Ludhiana; IGP Amar Singh Chahal, then DIG Ferozepur Range; MS Jaggi, then DC Faridkot; SS Mann, then SSP Faridkot; VK Syal then SDM Faridkot, besides Mantar Singh Brar, then Kotkapura MLA.
In addition, 50 private persons and more than 30 police officials of junior rank have also been examined. The five-member SIT was set up by the state government in September this year, soon after the notification to withdraw investigation of sacrilege incidents of the Guru Granth Sahib from the CBI was issued.