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Kotkapura firing case: HC grants interim protection to former DIG
High court bench of justice Raj Mohan Singh while adjourning the matter for May 30 also ordered him to appear before the trial court within 15 days
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to Amar Singh Chahal, the former deputy inspector general of police, Faridkot range, an accused in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case.
The high court bench of justice Raj Mohan Singh while adjourning the matter for May 30 also ordered him to appear before the trial court within 15 days.
He had informed the court that he was not nominated as an accused in the challan filed by the earlier Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 23, 2019, but the report was quashed by the high court. Later, a new SIT summoned him on various occasions and even he responded to a comprehensive questionnaire containing 240 questions, but has been named in the challan again. Since challan has now been presented, custodial interrogation was not required, hence, he be granted interim protection from arrest, he had argued.
Punjab government additional advocate general, Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala, on the other hand, had submitted that custodial interrogation was required in respect of the allegation of conspiracy against him.
The court, however, asking the state to submit a status report by the next date of hearing granted relief to him.
Last month, the high court granted anticipatory bail to former deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, and former DGP, Sumedh Singh Saini, among others. 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 firing incidents reported at Kotkapura, protesters suffered injuries.
