Behbal Kalan firing witnesses submit fresh statements to SIT

More than five years after giving their statement to the special investigation team (SIT) probing the Behbal Kalan firing case, seven witnesses, including three family members of post-sacrilege firing victims, on Wednesday submitted an affidavit with fresh statements to the probe team.

The move comes two days after the Faridkot court asked the SIT probing 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case to consider the affidavit of the witnesses for a ‘fair’ probe while disposing of an application filed by the witnesses.

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.

Krishan’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 — submitted their affidavits with fresh statements to the SIT.

In June, these seven witnesses had moved the 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. In the application, they alleged that Kunwar Vijay twisted their statements to suit his agenda. However, the court refused to interfere in the probe and asked SIT to consider affidavits of witnesses.

The witnesses had first recorded their statements with previous SIT-led by ADGP Parbodh Kumar in 2018. Then IG Kunwar Vijay was a member of the SIT and led the probe. In May 2021, a new SIT led by then IGP (now ADGP) Naunihal Singh was constituted to probe the Behbal Kalan firing case, which is yet to file a supplementary chargesheet.

A witness on the condition of anonymity said, “SIT member Kunwar Vijay twisted our statements. We had named inspector Pardeep Singh as the prime accused but the IG got him pardoned. There are some other details which cannot be disclosed,” the witness added.

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.

Ex-SIT member leaking vital info, alleges firing victim’s son

Son of one of the victims killed in the police firing filed a complaint against a former member of the SIT to the Punjab director general of police (DGP) and chief justice of Punjab and Haryana high court alleging he “intentionally” and “maliciously” leaked vital information of the case.

Sukhraj Singh, son of Krishan Bhagwan, filed a complaint against former IGP (now AAP MLA) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was a member of the previous SIT which probed the case. He alleged that the former IG was damaging the case of prosecution by leaking vital information.

When contacted, Kunwar Vijay refused to comment.