Kotkapura firing case: Trial starts in sessions court, next hearing on Aug 23

The hearing of trial against the six accused, including five cops, in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case started on Wednesday in the court of district and sessions

The hearing of trial against the six accused, including five cops, in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case started on Wednesday in the court of district and sessions judge Harpal Singh.

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All the six accused, including former Akali MLA Mantar Singh Brar and suspended inspector general of police Paramraj Singh Umranangal, appeared before the court on Wednesday. The hearing was adjourned to August 23.

During the hearing on August 1, taking up the plea of the Special Investigations Team (SIT) seeking transfer of the case to the court of district and sessions judge, the court of judicial magistrate (first class) Ekta Uppal committed the case to sessions court for further hearing.

The SIT probing the police firing case had filed a 2,000-page chargesheet against six accused on May 27. Besides Brar and Umranangal, four other accused in the case are — former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, then Ludhiana ADCP Paramjit Singh Pannu, then Kotkapura DSP Baljit Singh and then Kotkapura city SHO Gurdeep Singh Pandher.

A case under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) and under the Arms Act was registered against them on August 7, 2018. Later, the SIT added more sections, including 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information) and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) beside Section 34 (done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.