2 months after Kotkapura chargesheet, no headway in Behbal Kalan firing probe

More than two months after a chargesheet was filed by the special investigation team (SIT) in 2015 Kotkapura police firing case, the probe of SIT led by inspector general of police (IGP) Naunihal Singh in 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case remains standstill.

On February 24, SIT led by ADGP LK Yadav filed a chargesheet against former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son and former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and six police officers including former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in Kotkapura firing case. On April 25, Yadav-led SIT filed a supplementary chargesheet.

In May last year SIT led by IG Naunihal Singh had told the Punjab and Haryana high court that it was facing problems in the probe due to lack of access to the findings of an inquiry into the Kotkapura firing incident, facts of which are interconnected with this case. But even two months after getting access to the Kotkapura SIT’s probe report, Behbal Kalan SIT’s probe is not seeing any headway. Even the state government had claimed in February that a supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the Behbal Kalan case very soon.

On Saturday, the trial court at Faridkot adjourned the matter to May 20 awaiting status report in the probe from Behbal Kalan SIT. Last year, the high court had directed the trial court to take both Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura firing cases simultaneously on the same day and decide the same in accordance with the law. Following this, the Faridkot court observed that proceedings in the Behbal Kalan case will only proceed after Kotkapura probe team will file the chargesheet.

The filing of the chargesheet in Kotkapura firing case had cleared roadblocks for trial in the Behbal Kalan firing case. The trial in the case was stuck due to legal hurdles for more than a year now in a Faridkot court.

As both firing cases are interlinked, demise of former CM Parkash Singh Badal will put impact on the probe as Yadav-led SIT had named him “facilitator in the conspiracy”. Faridkot court is going to initiate process to close proceedings against him. As per sources, following Kotkapura SIT’s probe naming Sukhbir as mastermind of conspiracy, Naunihal led SIT is likely to name Sukhbir as accused soon in Behbal Kalan case as probe says both incidents happened under same conspiracy.

Behbal Kalan SIT puzzled on Pandher

Then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh Pandher was named an accused in Behbal Kalan firing but chargesheet against him is pending. As per sources, SIT-led by Naunihal was waiting for Kotkapura SIT’s probe report on Pandher to establish his link in Behbal Kalan case. But Yadav-led SIT has not named Pandher accused in FIR registered in Kotkapura firing conspiracy, while he has been named in another FIR for framing incorrect record. After the Kotkapura firing incident Pandher had registered FIR against the protesters claiming that police were attacked on October 14, 2015. The previous SIT-led by AGDP Prabodh Kumar had nominated eight persons as accused in the FIR. SIT filed chargesheet against DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, former Moga SSP Charanjeet Sharma, SP Bikramjit Singh, then Bajakhana SHO inspector Amarjit Kular, Faridkot based advocate Suhail Brar and Pankaj Bansal in Behbal Kalan case. In May 2021, a new SIT led by IGP Naunihal Singh was constituted. The move came after the high court quashed all the chargesheets filed by the SIT member and then IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap and ordered to constitute a new probe team for fresh investigation. Acting on the HC orders, the state government constituted a new three-member SIT headed by ADGP LK Yadav in May 2021.

Even after two years probe Naunihal led SIT fails to file chargesheet

The previous SIT had filed five chargesheets against seven accused. The first chargesheet was filed in April 2019, naming Charanjeet Sharma as conspirator. While last supplementary chargesheet was filed in January 2021 naming Saini and Umranangal as “masterminds”. One accused inspector Pardeep Singh has turned approver in this case. SIT claimed that the cops opened fire at peaceful protesters at the direction of IGP Umranangal, who got instructions from Saini, and later conspired to fabricate the evidence to cover up the incidents. Even two years after the reconstitution of the SIT probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan firing case, the probe team has failed to file a single supplementary chargesheet against the remaining accused. Two youths had died in the Behbal Kalan firing on October 14, 2015, while protesting against the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari on October 12.