Kotkapura firing: Ex-Akali MLA, 5 cops named in 2nd chargesheet filed by SIT
The first chargesheet filed in the Kotkapura firing case on May 27 said that incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib were “a pre-planned handiwork of then deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, then DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda”.
Inspector general (IG) of police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is a member of the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 police firing cases, on Thursday filed a second chargesheet against six persons, including former Akali MLA Mantar Singh Brar, in the Kotkapura case.
The 68-page chargesheet has additional evidence, including call details of the accused. The SIT member also submitted the prosecution sanction granted by the Punjab home affairs and justice department to prosecute five cops, including suspended IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal, former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, ADCP Paramjit Singh Pannu, then DSP Kotkapura Baljit Singh and then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh Pandher.
The home department sanctioned prosecution under Section 197 (prosecution of public servants) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The first chargesheet filed in the Kotkapura firing case on May 27 said that incidents of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib were “a pre-planned handiwork of then deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, then director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini and Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda”.
The chargesheet mentioned that ADCP Paramjit Singh Pannu was specially called by then Ludhiana commissioner Umranangal to Kotkapura to execute his pre-determined plan of action to use force at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan. The SIT claimed that Umranangal was working as in-charge of the force and was receiving directions directly from the DGP.
The SIT also charged then Kotkapura DSP and SHO with distorting and fabricating records.
The police action on protesters, according to the SIT, was an outcome of the conspiracy between high-profile politicians and police officers of senior rank in connivance with the head of Dera Sacha Sauda and his followers. The SIT said that role of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir, then DGP and then DIG Amar Singh Chahal is also under investigation.
On Monday, acting director general of police (DGP) VK Bhawara convened a meeting of all the five team members of the SIT to iron out differences among them after four SIT members wrote to DGP Dinkar Gupta and dissociated themselves from the chargesheet filed by Kunwar Vijay in a Faridkot court on May 27.