Kotkapura police firing: SIT quizzes then MLA Brar

PREVIOUS SIT HAD NAMED HIM AS AN ACCUSED IN THE CASE, WHEREIN POLICE HAD OPENED FIRE ON THOSE PROTESTING AGAINST SACRILEGE INCIDENTS

CHANDIGARH: The special investigation team (SIT) probing the police firing in Punjab’s Kotkapura in 2015 on Tuesday questioned former Shiromani Akali Dal legislator Mantar Singh Brar among others.

With this, Brar, who was then Kotkapura MLA, became the first politician to be quizzed by the new probing team.

The previous SIT had named him as an accused in the case, wherein police had opened fire on people protesting against sacrilege incidents at Kotkapura in Faridkot district, leaving two men dead on October 14, 2015.

However, the Punjab and Haryana high court on April 9 quashed all reports filed by the previous SIT, headed by inspector general of police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, following which a new SIT was constituted under additional director general of police (vigilance) LK Yadav.

According to sources, suspended Indian Police Service officer Paramraj Singh Umranangal also appeared before the SIT on Tuesday. He had shown inability to appear before it on Monday and had sought a day’s time. The SIT has not revealed any details about the line of questioning.

Umranangal who was then the Ludhiana police commissioner was sent to help cops in maintaining law and order at Kotkapura. He was considered close to the then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini. In February 2019, after the Congress government took over the state’s reigns from Shiromani Akali Dal, Umranangal along with other police officers was booked for negligence in duty and failing to control the situation. Subsequently, he was suspended.

According to the previous SIT, Mantar Brar had made 157 phone calls to the chief minister’s officer, then DGP Saini and other senior officers of the civil administration on the night before the firing. In the chargesheet, he was accused of influencing the local police to not record the statements of complainants in the case.

This was second consecutive day that the new SIT grilled people linked to the case. Others who were questioned include Gurcharan Singh, then officer on special duty in the CMO; IAS officer VK Meena, who was then divisional commissioner; and then Faridkot SSP Sukhmander Singh Mann. An officer who at the time posted as the Kotkapura subdivisional magistrate also appeared before the team.

The SIT has visited Faridkot a fortnight back and had grilled police officers who were present at the time of firing on the protestors. Former DGP Saini was also questioned last week. The SIT is expected to resume questioning shortly.