The Punjab Police on Monday submitted status reports in sealed covers before a Chandigarh court on the status of pending investigations into the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing cases.
The court, during the previous hearing on July 18, had directed the prosecution to place the status reports regarding any pending investigation before it.
The development comes after the trials relating to the Kotkapura firing and damage to property were transferred from Faridkot to the Chandigarh sessions court in April this year on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The Kotkapura incident took place on October 14, 2015, during a protest against “sacrilege” incidents reported from Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages when police had opened fire, leaving several protesters injured. On the same day, police firing at Behbal Kalan resulted in two deaths.
Several senior police officers, including former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, former IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal, ex-SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, former IG Amar Singh Chahal, ex-SSP Sukhminder Singh Mann and former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are among the accused in the Kotkapura firing case.
The court had earlier noted that despite repeated directions, a comprehensive status report on further investigation had not been placed on record. A status report had been received in a sealed cover in 2023, while another was submitted by the SIT in January 2024.
{{/usCountry}}The court had earlier noted that despite repeated directions, a comprehensive status report on further investigation had not been placed on record. A status report had been received in a sealed cover in 2023, while another was submitted by the SIT in January 2024.
{{/usCountry}}The proceedings were subsequently delayed as applications filed by the accused were being considered and the matter relating to the transfer of the cases remained pending before the higher courts.