Sukhbir appears in Faridkot court, Saini, 4 cops skip hearing
Former CM Badal sought exemption pointing to health reasons, while former DGP, others cited threat from pro-Khalistan elements
FARIDKOT : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday appeared before the court of judicial magistrate (first class) Ajaypal Singh in connection with the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case. The five accused cops, including former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini, gave the hearing a miss citing security threat from ‘antisocial elements and Khalistani activists.’
Former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal had filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance citing health reasons and it was allowed by the court.
On February 24 this year, ADGP LK Yadav-led special investigation team (SIT) filed a chargesheet in a Faridkot court, naming Badals and five police officers, former DGP Saini, suspended inspector general Paramraj Singh Umranangal, former deputy inspector general of police Amar Singh Chahal, former senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sukhminder Singh Mann and former SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma in an FIR registered in 2018 in connection with Kotkapura firing case. The FIR was registered on the recommendation of Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) commission report, which probed the Kotkapura firing incident.
The 7,000-page chargesheet submitted by the SIT described then deputy CM Sukhbir, who also held the home portfolio and Saini as “masterminds of the conspiracy to use illegal excessive force to hide the state’s inaction” on three sacrilege incidents in Faridkot district in 2015.
SIT accused the former CM of facilitating the accused in executing the conspiracy and encouraging Saini to “use excessive and illegal force against protesters”.
In separate applications, the five accused cops-- Saini, Umranagal, Chahal, Mann and Sharma -- sought exemption from personal appearance claiming a security threat. In the application, the counsel for the accused submitted that “there is a threat to the accused from anti-social elements and Khalistani activists due to which the situation is not conducive for them to appear in person in the court”.
The judicial magistrate allowed their applications and adjourned the matter to April 25 for further proceedings.
Umranangal’s counsel raising the security threat told the court that despite the Union home ministry’s directions, the Punjab government has not stepped up his security cover.
Sukhbir said they have full faith in the judiciary.
Further attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), he said that the state government’s cruel indifference and failure to present farmers’ case is directly responsible for the Centre’s value cut on grains.
“I strongly urge the Government of India not to punish beleaguered farmers for incompetence and indifference of AAP’s government in Punjab,” he said asking the Central government to withdraw the decision on value cut immediately.
Meanwhile, then Kotkapura station house officer (SHO) inspector Gurdeep Singh Pandher appeared before the court in an FIR registered immediately after the incident on October 14, 2015. On February 24, SIT also filed a chargesheet naming Saini, Umranangal, Mann and Pandher as accused in FIR registered in 2015.