New SIT begins probe, records statement of 7 cops injured in violence

FARIDKOT: The newly constituted three-member special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police to probe post-sacrilege firing incident at Kotkapura in 2015 started the probe on Thursday by recording the statements of seven cops injured in the incident, besides taking case records in possession from the local police station.

The SIT head, additional director-general of police (vigilance bureau) LK Yadav, along with other two members, Ludhiana police commissioner Rakesh Agrawal and Faridkot range DIG Surjit Singh, visited the chowk in Kotkapura city, where the firing incident took place on October 14, 2015. The team members also interacted with some of the shopkeepers around the chowk.

The probe team also took possession of all the records related to FIR 129 and FIR 192, including zimni orders through which accused cops were nominated. Sources said, the medical-legal reports (MLRS) of 13 injured cops were also taken along by the new probe team.

The new probe team will set up its camp office at the irrigation department’s rest house at Faridkot.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on April 9 had quashed all the reports filed by the previous SIT headed by the inspector general of police (now retired) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh into the Kotkapura firing. The state government constituted the new three-member SIT that has been directed to complete the investigation within six months.

Sources said that the probe team is also investigating the role of Sikh preachers who were declared “innocent” by Kunwar Vijay’s SIT.

Kunwar Vijay’s team had declared Sikh preachers Bhai Panthpreet Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, Amrik Singh Ajnala, Harjinder Singh Manjhi, Giani Kewal Singh, and 18 others as innocent in the Kotkapura violence case, claiming they were framed by the cops. On October 14, 2015, police registered an FIR against 15 Sikh preachers and unidentified people at Kotkapura city police station for allegedly instigating the protesters to attack the police with sharp-edged weapons and opening fire.

The SIT also visited the Behbal Kalan village where two Sikh protesters were killed in police firing in 2015; Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village from where a bir of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen in June 2015 and Bargari from where torn page of bir were recovered on October 12, 2015.

Firm on demand for prompt action in sacrilege: Randhawa Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Randhawa said he was firm on his demand for prompt action against the culprits in sacrilege cases but would not politicise this issue. Randhawa, whose meetings with former minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and some other ministers and MPS critical of the state government’s handling of the Kotkapura police firing case have become a talking point, said that his stand on the sacrilege issue and those named in drug cases was known to everyone.

“I want them punished,” he told reporters outside cabinet minister Aruna Chaudhary’s official residence. Nawanshahr MLA Angad Singh was also present.