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High drama as Badal objects to questioning by non-SIT member
Punjab director, prosecution, Vijay Singla had accompanied special investigation team that quizzed the five-time former chief minister for two hours on his role in the 2015 Kotkapura firing case
High drama prevailed at the residence of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh on Tuesday during his questioning by the special investigation team (SIT) of Punjab Police that is probing the 2015 Kotkapura firing case. Badal objected to the questioning by state director, prosecution, Vijay Singla, saying he was not a part of the SIT.
According to sources, Singla accompanied the two SIT members, additional director general of police (ADGP) LK Yadav, who heads the probe team, and Ludhiana commissioner of police Rakesh Aggarwal. Singla posed the first question to the five-time former chief minister about his role in the police firing.
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However, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch raised strong objection to Singla’s presence as he is not an SIT member. It is learnt that he demanded to know the identity of the third person in the probe. On the backfoot, Singla didn’t ask any further question. However, he remained inside the room during the two-hour questioning by the SIT members.
SIT being misused for political gains: Akali leaders
Later, SAD leaders Prem Singh Chadumajra, Maheshinder Singh Grewal and Dr Daljeet Cheema, told the media that Singla was sent by the chief minister’s office (CMO) to keep a tab on the SIT investigation.
“Singla is a retired and re-employed official. How can he be part of the SIT? This shows that the Capt Amarinder Singh government is again misusing the SIT for political gains,” said Grewal.
Questioning at Badal’s official residence
Earlier, the Punjab Police’s SIT reached Badal’s official residence in the MLAs’ flats in Sector 4, Chandigarh, at 10.45am to question him. The SIT had earlier summoned him for questioning at a rest house in Mohali on June 16, but he requested to put off the date of his appearance, citing ill-health and old age. The date of his questioning was rescheduled and it was decided that the SIT will question him at his official residence in Chandigarh.
“Still not in good health, Mr Badal is keen to fulfil his legal and constitutional duties as a law-abiding citizen of the country,” tweeted Harcharan Bains, the principal adviser to SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday.
Parkash Singh Badal was the chief minister when the incidents of sacrilege took place in Faridkot district, leading to resentment and protests and triggering the police firing. The state government has set up a new SIT to probe the Kotkapura incident following the Punjab and Haryana high court’s directions on April 9 that quashed a report by the previous SIT.
The previous SIT, led by special DGP Parbodh Kumar included then IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. It had also questioned Parkash Singh Badal in the case in 2019.
