Kotkapura verdict: Courts over indulgent towards police officials: Justice Ranjit Singh

Says justice has eluded those who suffered at the hands of ‘trigger happy’ police officials, who ‘killed and injured’ various persons sitting on protest at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in 2015

Questioning the Punjab and Haryana high court’s decision quashing the special investigation team (SIT) probe into the Kotkapura firing case, justice Ranjit Singh (retd) said on Thursday that the courts have lately been “over indulgent towards police officials”.

Justice Ranjit Singh (retd).

In a statement, retired high court judge said that so far, justice has eluded those who suffered at the hands of “trigger happy” police officials, who “killed and injured” various persons sitting on protest at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura in 2015.

“First, the then government and administration did everything to save the guilty officials, who committed serious offence of murder/attempt to murder. Lately, the courts have been over indulgent towards police officials without sparing any thought for those who were killed and injured in this firing suffering lifelong handicaps,” he said.

Justice Singh had headed a one-man inquiry commission, appointed by the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in 2017, into the cases of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent police firing in Faridkot district in which two Sikh protesters were killed. The incidents had happened during the rule of the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. The panel had submitted its report in 2018.

Last week, a high court bench quashed the probe reports submitted by Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) into the Kotkapura firing case and also ordered reconstitution of SIT excluding IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, much to the embarrassment of the Congress government.

Justice Singh said it is public pressure that has kept the cases revived leading to filing various chargesheets against those found blameworthy.

“It is rare for the courts to interfere in the investigation of crime as that is the duty of police as per the criminal jurisprudence. The defect or infirmities in investigation, if any, are to be pleaded and proved before trial court where challans are filed. Police have unhindered power to investigate crime,” he said, adding: “No accused person would ever be satisfied with investigator and accused has no right to seek change of investigation officer.”

Referring to some Supreme Court judgments, Justice Singh said: “Interference in the investigation by the courts is never done, especially when police have filed challans after completion of investigation.”