Probe at a standstill, SIT now to focus on ‘bir’ theft case
The probe team visits Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village and appeals to locals seeking assistance in finding evidence
FARIDKOT : The Punjab Police’s special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege cases has turned its focus on a desecration incident wherein a “bir” (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village in Faridkot, after its inquiry remained at a standstill for nearly a year due to legal tangles and other factors.
Since inspector general of police (IGP) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar took over as SIT head in February, no further progress
was made in the case as a supplementary chargesheet is yet to be filed in court.
The SIT had so far focused on the other two interlinked sacrilege cases with the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda followers and filing of chargesheets against
them.
IG Parmar along with other team members — assistant inspector general of police (AIG) Rajinder Singh Sohal and deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Lakhbir Singh —visited Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on
Wednesday and interacted with the locals seeking their assistance in the investigation. In the morning, the SIT members visited the Bajakhana police station and discussed the probe status.
The SIT head appealed to the locals to provide any information regarding the “bir” theft.
“This is the place of origin of sacrilege incidents. Therefore, it was important to talk with the locals. Sometimes people are hesitant about sharing information. We have already filed chargesheets in two sacrilege cases, while the challan in this case will be filed soon after collecting evidence,” he said.
Refusing to comment on the chargesheet filed by IG Ranbir Singh Khatra naming the dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as an accused, Parmar said, “We will move ahead in the case as per evidence only.”
Whether the jailed dera head will be questioned in this cases, the IG said that will depend on the evidence that they may come across.
The “bir” was stolen on June 1, 2015, and a case was registered at the Bajakhana police station in the district the next day.
The SIT led by IG Parmar is probing the “bir” theft case and two other interlinked cases wherein derogatory posters were put up at Bargari on September 24, 2015, and torn pages of a “bir” were found scattered near the Bargari gurdwara on October 12 the same year.
QUESTIONING OF THE JAILED DERA SACHA SAUDA HEAD WILL DEPEND ON THE EVIDENCE THEY COME ACROSS DURING PROBE, SAYS SIT HEAD