SIT CLEAN CHIT TO SIKH PREACHERS
JALANDHAR : The special investigation team (SIT) headed by inspector general of police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh has 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 registered in 2015.
The SIT has removed their names as accused from the case.
The development came with the SIT’S move of filing a chargesheet against then Kotkapura DSP Baljit Singh Sidhu and SHO Gurdeep Singh Pandher on Friday.
As per the case, the Sikh preachers — Bhai Panthpreet Singh, Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale, Amrik Singh Ajnala, Harjinder Singh Manji and others — were leading the protest against the then Shiromani Akali Dal government over the Bargari sacrilege incident, demanding the arrest of the accused.
The police on October 14, 2015 registered an FIR against 15 Sikh preachers and unknown persons at Kotkapura city police station for allegedly instigating the protesters to attack the police with sharp edge weapons and opening fire on cops.
The case was registered under sections of 307 (attempt to murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, on the complaint of then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh.
Following the incident, Bhai Panthpreet Singh, Mander Singh, Rachhpal Singh, Balpreeet Singh and five others were arrested by the police in the case.
The Faridkot court released the Sikh preachers on October 16, 2015. The SIT also recorded their statements in the case. The probe found that the preachers
POLICE HAD BOOKED 15 SIKH PREACHERS AND SOME UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS FOR ALLEGEDLY INSTIGATING THE PROTESTERS TO ATTACK COPS ON DUTY IN KOTKAPURA
and others were protesting peacefully over the sacrilege incident.
The SIT claimed that then DSP Baljeet Singh Sidhu and SHO Gurdeep have framed many innocent persons in the violence case. It said Pandher and Sidhu made an attempt to destroy 11 pieces of evidence, manipulated and fabricated crucial facts of the case. The SIT claimed that they were part of a conspiracy to create a self-defence theory to justify the police stand that protestors had attacked the police in Kotkapura.
Pandher, who is presently under judicial custody, was arrested by the SIT on June 25. Later Sidhu was also named an accused in the case.