E-Paper
{2015 Behbal Kalan police firing} SP facing murder charges reinstated
The SP, who was suspended in March 2019, has been posted as SP Technical Support Services at Chandigarh in a transfer order issued by the state government on Saturday.
Faridkot Superintendent of police (SP) Bikramjit Singh, who is facing murder charges in 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing in which two Sikh protestors were killed, has been reinstated in Punjab Police. The SP, who was suspended in March 2019, has been posted as SP Technical Support Services at Chandigarh in a transfer order issued by the state government on Saturday.
“Bikramjit was reinstated couple of months ago but he has been given posting now,” said an official. In September, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered the state government to reinstate Bikramjit. He had filed a writ petition in court seeking his reinstatement, referring to instructions issued by the state government that if an employee is placed under suspension and disciplinary proceedings are not concluded within one year, he is to be reinstated.
On October 9, 2020, the special investigation team (SIT), probing the 2015 police firing cases filed a charge-sheet against four accused, including Bikramjit. In November 2020, the home department sanctioned prosecution under Section 197 (prosecution of public servants) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The government, in its order, stated that the evidence produced before it was sufficient to initiate prosecution against Bikramjit. Following this, the reinstatement of Bikramjit was put on hold.
On October 14, 2015, two Sikh protesters— Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district— were killed during the protest at Behbal Kalan when they were protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
In August, 2018, the names of then Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, then SP detective, Fazilka, Bikramjit Singh, inspector Pardip Singh, who has now turned an approver, and sub-inspector Amarjit Singh Kular were added to the FIR registered for murder and attempt to murder of the IPC at the Bajakhana police station in Faridkot, following the recommendations of the justice Ranjit Singh Commission that inquired into the case.
The SIT has named former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini and suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal as accused and filed a chargesheet against them. Now, a trial is going on against them in a court at Faridkot.
