2015 Behbal Kalan police firing: 7 witnesses move court, accuse ex-IG Kunwar Vijay of twisting their statements

Seven witnesses, including three family members of post sacrilege firing victim, have moved court accusing former inspector general of police (now AAP MLA) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who led the probe in the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing incident, of using the case to gain political mileage, twisting their statements, and making arrests without proof.

The application has been filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate Damanpreet Kamal Heera, and alleges that Kunwar Vijay twisted their statements to suit his agenda. In their plea, they have asked the court to issue directions to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Behbal Kalan firing case to record their fresh statements under section 161 of CrPc. The court has directed the Bajakhana station house officer to submit a report by July 3. In May 2021, a new SIT led by IGP Naunihal Singh was constituted, which is yet to file a supplementary chargesheet.

Two Sikh protesters — Gurjeet Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village in Faridkot district — were killed on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against the sacrilege incident.

The application was moved by Krishan Bhagwan’s sons, Sukhraj Singh and Prabhdeep Singh, and Krishan’s father Mohinder Singh and four key witnesses-- Sarabjit Singh, Amritpal Singh, Amandeep Singh and Karamjit Singh.

They have claimed that the arrests Kunwar Vijay made in 2020 were ‘illegal’. “The officers who were present in Kotkapura at the time were also shown present in Behbal Kalan, which isn’t possible,” they added.

“Just to use the case for political mileage, high profile officials and people were made accused by Kunwar Vijay,” they added.

Further, witnesses claimed in the plea that Gursewak Singh Bhanna, Nirmal Singh and Sukhdev Singh Lambwali were made eye-witnesses in the case, but they were not present on the spot. “He (Kunwar Vijay) manufactured their statements to suit his story in the probe,” they added.

Witnesses made accused

The witnesses in their plea also said that an accused has been made an approver while witnesses were made accused. “Suhail Singh Brar and then Kotkapura station house officer Gurdeep Singh Pandher were witnesses in the case but were made accused,” they said.

In 2020, the prime accused in the case, inspector Pardeep Singh, the then reader to former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, was granted pardon on SIT’s request after he turned an approver. “While making Pradeep approver his complete statement was not recorded as there is no mention of him attacking protesters,” they alleged.

Investigation correct & fair: Kunwar Vijay

Kunwar Vijay said that his investigation was correct and fair. “Three years after recording their statements, now they have moved court. They have simply turned hostile. This is a big conspiracy to divert the people’s attention as a miscarriage of justice has already been done,” the AAP MLA said.

“Present SIT, constituted by the state government in 2021, has failed to file even a single chargesheet in two years. My investigation still stands as the writ petition filed in the high court by the accused seeking quashing of chargesheets in the Behbal Kalan case was dismissed in July 2022,” he added. The petition was dismissed as a new SIT had been constituted by the state government.

It’s important to mention here that the Punjab and Haryana high court in April 2021 had quashed all chargesheets filed by the SIT member Kunwar Vijay in Kotkapura firing case and ordered forming of a new probe team. Kunwar Vijay had resigned from the service and joined Aam Aadmi Party. He contested the MLA election from Amritsar North successfully.