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4-member SIT to probe Sultanpur Lodhi firing in Kapurthala
Deputy inspector general of police Dr S Bhoopati said the SIT had been formed under the supervision of Kapurthala senior superintendent of police Vatsala Gupta for detailed investigation into how the incident happened.
A four-member special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted to probe November 23 violent clash between Nihangs and Kapurthala police over control of local Akal Bunga Gurdwara in Sultanpur Lodhi here.
A home guards jawan was killed while 10 people, including four policemen and two local journalists, were injured after the Nihangs resorted to ‘unprovoked’ firing at police teams.
Deputy inspector general of police Dr S Bhoopati said the SIT had been formed under the supervision of Kapurthala senior superintendent of police Vatsala Gupta for detailed investigation into how the incident happened.
“The SSP, who will be heading the committee, will be assisted by three other senior officials. The SIT will thoroughly investigate the case from all angles and how the whole incident unfolded,” Bhoopati said.
He said on the findings of the SIT report, action will be taken against the guilty according to the course of law.
“The SIT will record evidence those involved in the matter thoroughly and will identify the unidentified accused nominated in the cases besides looking into the roles of other prime accused and arrest them as per the law,” the DIG said.
Meanwhile, heavy security arrangements have been made to ensure law and order situation in Sultanpur Lodhi, birthplace of first Sikh master Guru Nanak, whose 554th birth anniversary is going to be celebrated on Monday.
In the FIR, police have booked the main accused identified as Baba Mann Singh of Kaithal in Haryana, while arrested Shaheed Pal Singh of Gurdaspur, Baldev Singh of Sarhali in Tarn Taran, Gurinder Singh of Ludhiana, Iqbal Singh of Dyalpura, Arshdeep Singh, Manjit Pal Singh and Avtar Singh of Behniwal in Mansa. Police have also nominated around 40 unidentified people in the FIR.
The police had arrested 17 members of the Nihang group, including five in Thursday’s firing incident and 12 in the November 21 FIR registered against them for assaulting two members of the opposite group.
Earlier, the gurdwara was in possession of Patiala-based Baba Budha Dal Balbir Singh but on November 21, his opponent group Mann Singh took illegal possession of the gurdwara by “assaulting” two of the gurdwara employees.
Following Thursday morning firing, a case under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharging their duty), 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed with a common object) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and other sections of the Arms Act have been registered against the accused.
The district administration has decided to appoint a receiver, who will be a government employee, under Section 145 (procedure where dispute concerning land or water is likely to cause breach of peace) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), to manage the gurdwara till the issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Pargat Singh and Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal met the injured journalist in local hospital as they alleged police torture during coverage of the incident. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)leader Bikram Singh Majithia has demanded registration of an FIR and immediate arrest of Punjab Police cop who thrashed the journalist and his cameraman.
