Behbal Kalan firing: HC disposes of pleas seeking quashing of FIR, challan

The pleas filed by former DGP Saini, suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal and the then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh, among others demanded transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and quashing of the FIR and chargesheet submitted by the SIT constituted by the Punjab government

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday disposed of a bunch of pleas filed by former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and others while asking the Punjab Police to expedite the probe into the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing cases.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday disposed of a bunch of pleas filed by former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and others while asking the Punjab Police to expedite the probe into the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing cases.

The pleas filed by former DGP Saini, suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal and the then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh, among others demanded transfer of the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and quashing of the FIR and chargesheet submitted by the SIT constituted by the Punjab government.

The high court bench of justice Raj Mohan Singh observed that Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan criminal cases are “intrinsically mixed up” and the special investigation team (SIT) headed by IPS officer Naunihal Singh (probing Behbal Kalan criminal cases) is feeling “handicapped” in the absence of material collected by the SIT of Kotkapura. The court “desired” that the SIT in the Kotkapura criminal cases conduct the investigation “expeditiously” so that the Naunihal Singh-led SIT also can proceed with the probe. Kotkapura cases are being probed by the SIT led by IPS officer LK Yadav.

Two protesters were killed in Behbal Kalan allegedly in the police firing in the aftermath of incidents of sacrilege reported at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages of Faridkot in 2015.

In April 2021, the high court quashing the chargesheet had ordered in Kotkapura criminal cases that till the time the SIT does not complete its probe, it won’t share it with “anyone”. Punjab Police had argued that as probe of the Yadav-led SIT is not complete and due to HC orders, the investigation into the Behbal Kalan cases has got held up and can be completed when probe reports of the Yadav-led SIT is shared with team led by Naunihal.

The court has now directed both the SITs to complete probe and file challans. It said after that, petitioners would be at liberty to address arguments at the time of framing of charges and seek appropriate orders. As of demands made in the pleas, the court said: “... all the legal arguments can be raised before the competent court.” The court, however, maintained that “it has disposed of pleas without meaning anything on merits of the case(s)”. It also asked the trial court to take all these cases simultaneously on the same day and take a decision.

The case was registered on October 21, 2015, a week after two protesters were killed allegedly in the police firing at Behbal Kalan.

The court observed that no meticulous examination of prosecution or defence material is permissible so as to assess the gravity or the allegations. “The complicity of the petitioners would be tested before the trial court, for which the petitioners/accused would be at liberty to argue their respective cases at the stage of framing of charges and seek discharge in accordance with law,” it said.

CM hails verdict

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday hailed the verdict of high court “dismissing petitions” seeking quashing of FIR and investigation conducted into the Behbal Kalan firing.

The CM said the verdict has paved the way for the government to seek strict punishment against the policeman accused of firing on innocent protestors at Behbal Kalan. Mann added that both the Akalis and Congress have connived with each other to save the guilty in this case.