Behbal Kalan firing: Proceeding not to move forward until SIT files charge sheet in Kotkapura case, says Faridkot court
Apart from the former director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini, all the accused, including the suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal and former senior superintendent of police Charanjit Singh Sharma, appeared in the court. Saini was granted exemptions on health grounds. The matter was adjourned to October 15.
The Faridkot district and sessions court said that the proceedings in the Behbal Kalan firing case will not move further in the trial court until the charge sheet in the Kotkapura firing case is filed by the special investigation team (SIT).
Apart from the former director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini, all the accused, including the suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal and former senior superintendent of police Charanjit Singh Sharma, appeared in the court. Saini was granted exemptions on health grounds. The matter was adjourned to October 15.
The Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered that “the prosecution, in turn, shall submit a report of further investigation to the trial court at the earliest. The trial court shall proceed to take all these (2015 Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing) cases simultaneously on the same day and decide the same in accordance with the law”. Following this, the state government had filed an application seeking clarification over direction to hold a simultaneous hearing in both firing cases. The state on Saturday informed the trial court that the application seeking clarification was dismissed by the HC saying “It was a clear order.”
Following this, additional sessions judge Rajiv Kalra said the proceeding will not move further till the SIT files a charge sheet in the Kotkapura firing case.
On August 4, the SIT submitted a sealed status report into the investigation of the Kotkapura firing incident. On July 12, the trial court in Faridkot directed both SITs to submit their status reports within a fortnight.
It has been learnt that the SIT in the status report submitted to the court said it may take a few more months to complete the probe into the Kotkapura firing incident. During the proceedings, the court has also verbally refused to provide a copy of the status report to the accused.
On October 14, 2015, police opened fire at people protesting at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan against a sacrilege incident that had taken place at Bargari in Faridkot district. While two protesters were killed in Behbal Kalan, several were injured in Kotkapura.
SIT investigating Kotkapura case expedites probe
After the probe remained standstill for at least six months, the SIT probing the 2015 Kotkapura firing incident has expedited the process to file a fresh charge sheet.
On August 16, Moga SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana, who is a member of the SIT, along with the police and Forensic Science Lab (FSL) team visited the site, where the firing incident took place on October 14, 2015. It has been learnt that the team visited early morning to match the exact time when the incident took place with the purpose of recreating the crime scene. As per sources, the SIT visited Kotkapura for the investigation to further clarify some facts and physical evidence. Earlier, this month SIT had questioned Saini and submitted a status report in the Faridkot court.
More than 15 months after initiating a probe into the Kotkapura police firing case, the SIT led by Punjab additional director general of police (ADGP) LK Yadav is yet to file a fresh charge sheet.
In April last year, the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) had quashed all reports related to the Kotkapura firing filed by the previous SIT. Acting on the court orders, on May 7, the state government had constituted a new three-member SIT headed by ADGP Yadav and tasked it with completing the probe preferably within six months.
