After CBI plea rejected in SC, Capt Amarinder says Punjab Police will probe Behbal Kalan, Bargari sacrilege cases

On opening day of budget session assembly, chief minister announces that CBI plea challenging HC order that upheld Punjab govt’s decision to withdraw investigation from central probe agency has been rejected by Supreme Court

CHANDIGARH: Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) petition before the Supreme Court, challenging an earlier order of the Punjab and Haryana high court that had upheld the notification of the Punjab government to withdraw the investigation in the Behbal Kalan and Bargari sacrilege cases from the central probe agency, has been dismissed.

Chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh announced in the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday that Punjab Police will investigate the sacrilege cases. (HT file photo)

Making the announcement on the floor of House on the opening day of the budget session, Capt Amarinder Singh said, “Now the cases will be investigated by the Punjab Police only.”

Earlier, the CBI had challenged the legality of the state government’s September 2019 notification to withdraw the three sacrilege-related violence cases from it in the high court but it had ruled that the chain of events showed that the same were inextricably linked and thus it did not feel the need to interfere in the decision of the state government to withdraw investigation from the CBI or to set aside the consequent notifications.