Behbal Kalan firing: Ex-Punjab DGP Saini, Umranangal withdraw applications on advancing of hearing

Former Punjab director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal on Monday withdrew their applications seeking advancing of hearing in the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing reported after incidents of sacrilege

Chandigarh

Former Punjab DGP Sumedh Singh Saini.

Former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umranangal on Monday withdrew their applications seeking advancing of hearing in the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing reported after incidents of sacrilege.

The applications were withdrawn due to no fresh developments in the trial court. The matter is now listed for hearing on December 4.

This was the first hearing after appointment of senior advocate Rajwinder Singh Bains as special public prosecutor by Punjab to deal with post sacrilege violence cases. Advocate Sant Pal Singh Sidhu appeared for the former DGP, who was earlier being represented by Punjab’s advocate general APS Deol.

Senior advocate Deol paved the way for Bains’ appointment on October 1 as his appointment came under criticism since he had represented Saini in these cases.

Senior advocate Gurminder Singh is appearing for Umranangal.

In these pleas, both have sought quashing of the FIR and chargesheet submitted by the special investigation team of Punjab police and transfer of case to the CBI.

Initially, the FIR (number 130) was registered against Charanjit Singh, former Moga SSP, and subsequently the duo, too, were nominated as the accused.

The case was registered on October 21, 2015, a week after two protesters were killed allegedly in the police firing at Behbal Kalan in the aftermath of incidents of sacrilege reported at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala.

In the second set of the FIR of 2015 sacrilege violence (FIR 129 registered at Kotkapura police station), the chargesheet submitted has been quashed and the SIT has been told to file it afresh by the high court in April 2021.