E-Paper
Behbal Kalan firing: Victims’ kin perturbed as govt seeks six months more to complete probe
After the state government delegation led by cabinet minister Harjot Bains on Sunday sought six months more to complete the investigation, the families decided to hold a public gathering on July 31 to decide further course of action
Faridkot : The families of 2015 Behbal Kalan firing victims have expressed their displeasure over the Punjab government’s demand seeking more time to complete the probe.
After the state government delegation led by cabinet minister Harjot Bains on Sunday sought six months more to complete the investigation, the families decided to hold a public gathering on July 31 to decide further course of action.
Two Sikh protesters — Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district — were killed on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against a sacrilege incident.
Bains, along with Punjab Vidhan Sabha speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Faridkot MLA Gurdit Sekhon and Jaitu MLA Amolak Singh on Sunday reached Behbal Kalan, where Sukhraj Singh, son of one of the victims, is sitting on protest against the delay in the investigation and legal proceeding of the case for past 220 days.
Bains told the protesters that the government’s demand to complete the probe was genuine. “We are asking for six months, but the investigation can be complete even earlier. We will call you and tell you about the progress continuously,” he added.
In April, the state government had sought three-month time to bring the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case to a logical conclusion, which was accepted by the victim’s kin and protesters. But on July 10, when three-month deadline lapsed, a team of lawyers on behalf of the state government sought more time to get a clarification on an order passed by the Punjab and Haryana high court in the matter. Following this the protestors agreed to give two weeks more time, which lapsed on Sunday.
“In last more than three months, they have only managed to get writ petitions disposed of but the case is still at the same stage in the trial court. They have even failed to file any supplementary chargesheet against the remaining accused. Punjab Police have not even named politicians involved in the firing incident. This government has failed to fulfil their promise and even after setting a three-month deadline, they were asking for another six months. We have refused to give any further time to the state government. We have given call to gather at the Behbal Kalan on July 31. We will announce a further course of agitation if the government failed to come up with something significant in the meantime,” Sukhraj, whose sit-in entered 220th day on Sunday, said.
On July 12, a trial court in Faridkot directed the two special investigation teams (SITs) probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing incidents to submit their status reports within a fortnight. However, none of the SIT has filed the status report in the court so far. The deadline given by the trail court will end on July 27.
