Behbal Kalan firing: SIT arrests IG Umranangal
IT’S ILL-ADVISED POLITICAL ARREST: SAINI
FARIDKOT: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents arrested inspector general (IG) of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal from the Punjab Police headquarters in Chandigarh on Monday.
Umranangal was commanding the police force when two anti-sacrilege protesters were killed in the firing. Inspector general of police and SIT member Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh confirmed the arrest.
“The SIT gave Umranangal several opportunities to answer why he left his territorial jurisdiction (Ludhiana commissionerate) to be in Kotkapura. He told the SIT that he was in Kotkapura for negotiations with the protesters. But the SIT probe found that around 200 cops came from Ludhiana commissionerate to Kotkapura. Preliminary probe also revealed that Umranangal was not in Kotkapura for negotiations,” said the SIT member.
Umranangal’s arrest is likely to reveal the mystery behind who ordered the firing. He will be produced in a Faridkot court on Tuesday.
The SIT member said that former Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma, who was arrested last month, told about Umranangal’s involvement in the Behbal Kalan firing incident. “We questioned a number of people, including police officials, as part of our investigation. Umranangal was questioned twice. We have got sufficient evidence that the procedure adopted (to open fire) was not correct,” said the SIT member, adding that ant-sacrilege protesters were sitting peacefully when the police opened fire on them.
Umranangal was constantly naming ADGP Jatindra Jain (then IG Intelligence) that he was in command when the firing was ordered, the charge denied by Jain. CHANDIGARH : Sumedh Singh Saini, who was the DGP when Behbal Kalan incident took place, termed it “ill-advised political arrest”.
“Umranangal had nothing to do with the Behbal Kalan firing. What happened in Kotakpura has appeared in various videos and is known to all. At least 40 policemen were injured in the clash but no arrest has been made so far. Radicals and separatists were demanding Umranangal’s arrest and this will embolden them,” said Saini. He said the arrest was avoidable as it is neither fair nor is it in state’s interest. “With ‘Referendum 2020’ approaching, perhaps more attention is required to be paid to control separatist elements. However, no action has been taken on number of hoardings of Khalistan that has appeared for this campaign. The present situation makes Punjab a fit case for centre’s intervention,” he said.