Behbal Kalan firing: SIT seeks more time to submit status report on allegations against ex-SIT member
Mahinder Singh, father of deceased Krishan Bhagwan Singh, who was killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, had filed an application in the court for recalling the order with regard to tender of pardon to prime accused inspector Pardeep Singh.
The Punjab police special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case on Saturday sought more time to file a response on allegations levelled by the father of a victim against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator and former inspector general of police (IGP) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is also an ex-SIT member, for giving consent to granting pardon to a prime accused.
Mahinder Singh, father of deceased Krishan Bhagwan Singh, who was killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, had filed an application in the court for recalling the order with regard to tender of pardon to prime accused inspector Pardeep Singh.
In September 2020, the then IGP and member of SIT Kunwar Vijay had appeared in the court and claimed that making Pardeep an approver would strengthen the prosecution’s case against the culprits. Pardeep was made an approver in the case.
During the previous hearing, the court of additional sessions judge Rajiv Kalra observed that “numerous allegations were levelled against then SIT member Kunwar Vijay for playing fraud on the court by giving consent for tender of pardon to the main accused” and asked the SIT to submit a report.
The SIT on Saturday submitted an application in the court seeking further time to submit a response to the plea. Following this, the court ordered that “let the report of the SIT be awaited till December 22, next hearing of the case”. The court has verbally asked the SIT to file response as soon possible as the nature of the allegations is very serious.
Meanwhile, Kunwar Vijay also submitted an application in the court with a request to allow him to file his submissions in response to the plea filed by Mahinder Singh before passing any order on the matter. The court has asked the public prosecutor to submit a reply explaining “if there is any provision under the CrPC which allows former investigation officer to submit such application”. The court will argue on the maintainability of the application on the next hearing.
Former senior superintendent of police Charanjit Singh Sharma, who is an accused in the case, also filed an application demanding the court to “drop the proceedings, while rejecting the challan and supplementary challan furnished by the police in the Behbal Kalan firing case”. The court has directed the prosecution to file a reply to the application well before the next date of hearing and the case was adjourned to December 22 for arguments on the application and arguments for the point of charge in the main trial.”
The accused, former SSP Sharma, and Suhail Singh Brar appeared in the court physically, while all other accused appeared through videoconferencing. Apart from Sharma, all other accused, including Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal appeared through videoconferencing in the case.
