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7 Dera Sacha Sauda men held for 2015 Guru Granth Sahib bir theft
SETBACK TO KHATRA-LED SIT: Faridkot court terms arrest of two of the accused as ‘illegal’, orders their release; five sent to two-day police custody
The Punjab Police’s special investigation team (SIT), led by Jalandhar range deputy inspector general (DIG) Ranbir Singh Khatra, on Saturday arrested seven Dera Sacha Sauda followers in Faridkot district in connection with a sacrilege incident that had sparked off statewide protests in 2015.
Khatra said the accused stole a bir (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib from a gurdwara of Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village on June 1, 2015. The case was registered at the Bajakhana police station in the district.
The accused were identified as Sukhjinder Singh, alias Sunny, Nishan Singh and Ranjit Singh alias Bhola all resident of Kotkapura, Shakti Singh of Daggu Romana village, Baljit Singh of Sikhanwala village, Randeep Singh, alias Neela and Narinder Sharma, both resident of Faridkot.
‘TWO WERE ALREADY RELEASED ON BAIL’
Hours after the arrest of seven dera followers, the Khatra-led SIT produced the accused in a Faridkot court on Saturday afternoon and sought their police custody for investigation.
Duty magistrate Chetan Sharma, however, termed the arrest of two of the accused, Sukhjinder Singh, alias Sunny of Kotkapura and Shakti Singh of Daggu Romana village, as “illegal”since both were already released on bail.
He also ordered their release.
The defence argued that the Sukhjinder and Shakti were already granted bail by the CBI court, Mohali, in the case and the SIT has not taken any approval for their arrest from the court concerned. The court has sent the other five accused to two-day police custody.
Defence counsel Vinod Monga said the SIT acted irresponsibly without confirming all the facts. He said Sukjihnder and Shakti both were arrested in this case in 2016 and have spent 11 months in jail.
“The SIT was not even aware that the two were arrested in this case earlier. But has admitted the mistake and filed an application asking the court to release both the accused,” he said.
DIG Khatra said that all the three cases, which the CBI was probing, have been handed over to them and they have started the investigation. “We have got the remand of five persons while two were released due to some technical legal issues,” he said.
“They all are also accused in the 2011 Moga riots case. In the investigation of Gurusar and Malke sacrilege cases, the Moga riots and confession of some accused has revealed that late Mohinderpal Singh Bittu was the main conspirator of the episode. These seven accused acted on his directions. As per investigation, Sukjinder and Randeep had stolen the bir from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village. Later Shakti, Baljit and Ranjit took the bir from them, further Nishan while Baljit took it to Sikhanwala village. We are investigating further to know what happened after that,” he added.
THE CASE
In 2018, the Khatra-led SIT had arrested more than 20 followers of the Sirsa-based dera, including Mohinder Pal Bittu, who was killed in the Nabha jail in 2019, in connection with the sacrilege incidents and rioting in Punjab in 2015.
The Akali-BJP government, led by Parkash Singh Badal, had handed over the probe into the three sacrilege incidents to the CBI. The first case pertained to the theft of the bir (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village near Kotkapura in Faridkot district on June 1, 2015. The second was the putting up of a poster at Bargari village in the district on September 25, 2015; and the third was the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib as torn pages of the bir were found scattered in front of a gurdwara at Bargari on October 12, 2015.
The Congress government, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, however, took back the cases from the CBI and handed over the probe to the Punjab Police SIT, led by Khatra.
THE TIMELINE
June 1, 2015: A case pertaining to theft of bir (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village near Kotkapura in Faridkot registered.
Sept 25, 2015: Second case registered for putting up of a poster at Bargari village.
Oct 12, 2015: Third case registered for the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib as torn pages of the bir were found scattered in front of a gurdwara at Bargari.
Nov 2, 2015: The then SAD-BJP government handed over probe to the CBI in these three FIRs
Nov 30, 2015: The SAD-BJP government constitutes another SIT led by then DIG RS Khatra to probe similar incidents of desecration at Gursar and Malke villages.
July 4, 2019: CBI files closure report claiming no proof against Dera Sacha Sauda followers.
Sept 6, 2019: A notification issued by Punjab government, withdrawing the consent to the CBI to investigate the case.
December 2019: Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld the notification of the Punjab Government to withdraw the investigation in the Bargari sacrilege case
Feb 2020: SC dismisses plea of CBI against withdrawal of consent by Punjab to probe sacrilege cases
