Cops ignored intel, ‘deliberately’ didn’t act against dera men: SIT’s supplementary chargesheet in Kotkapura Firing

The special investigation team (SIT) probing the Kotkapura firing case, in the supplementary chargesheet, has claimed that police “deliberately lapsed” to probe dera premis in sacrilege cases in 2015 due to ‘direct interference’ of then home minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. SIT-led by ADGP LK Yadav had submitted a 130-page supplementary chargesheet in the court on Monday. HT has a copy of the latest chargesheet filed by SIT.

“Despite having proper intelligence inputs regarding the first two incidents of sacrilege in Faridkot, SIT finds culpable silence of both the masterminds then home minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and then director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini, regarding knowledge of the incidents of sacrilege directly proportional to the conspicuous absence of measures taken by the masterminds to prevent, detect, deter and professionally investigate sacrilege incidents, ultimately formed the main point of contention aggravating the anger of protestors after the third incident of sacrilege on October 12, 2015, at Bargari and a motive for accused to suppress this protest,” SIT said.

SIT has further observed that the first incident of sacrilege took place at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village in Faridkot on June 1, 2015, whereupon a bir (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a gurudwara. SIT said the first lapse in the conduct of the police regarding sacrilege matters comes forth from the fact that FIR was registered on next day of the incident.

“On September 25, 2015, sacrilegious posters were affixed in Burj Jawahar Singh Wala. No separate FIR was registered regarding the sacrilegious poster found affixed in Bargari. Notably despite having an open threat to commit a third incident of sacrilege, there striking absence of any special measure to increase the surveillance of the concerned area by the police to avert the possibility of third incident of sacrilege. Despite having a second lead to warrant initiating an investigation regarding the probable involvement of Dera Premis not even a single Dera Premi was called for questioning,” the SIT chargesheet further added.

“The failure of the police for second consecutive time to not proceed with an investigation to probe the involvement of dera Premis is unfeasible to be seen as a mere administrative lapse in the ordinary course of things. This was a deliberate lapse due to the direct interference of mastermind Sukhbir Singh Badal. This deliberate lapse became the foundation of desperation to lift the protest after the third incident of sacrilege that cumulated into a conspiracy to use illegal force against protestors,” SIT said.

“Motive to provide undue favours to the dera premis propelled the masterminds Sukhbir Badal and Sumedh Singh Saini to hatch a deep-rooted conspiracy with malicious intent to ensure concealment of deliberate inactions against dera Premi’s. Further, in order to cover up the undue favours ensured to the dera Premi’s the conspiracy was executed with foreknowledge of consequences by the master executor accused IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal and other co-executor through suppression of protest at the cost of peace and order of the state and recklessly putting life of the fellow police officials in danger with malicious intention to justify the illegal and excessive use of force on the peaceful protestors,” it added.

SIT probe focused on an unidentified boy

SIT has strongly relied upon the pieces of evidence connecting an unidentified boy, who had participated in the protest, indicating he was part of the “conspiracy”. SIT has provided detailed behavioural remarks on his presence at the protest site. The probe team had released his pictures but no one has identified the boy yet.

The SIT did a psychological profiling and general characteristics of the unidentified boy holding a baseball bat, seen in the CCTV footage of the Kotkapura firing incident that took place on October 14, 2015. The analysis has been conducted by the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

NFSU report in conclusion said that according to the CCTV footage that was analysed, the person was acting suspiciously and with an instigating mindset. “He is only an observer and not a participant in the protest, indicating that he had something on his mind. Also, he participated in the violent act, which clearly indicates that he left the scene of the crime very quickly, implying that he was only there to cause disturbance and then leave,” it added.

SIT claimed that while analysing the NFSU report, the act and chronological events unfolded during the course of the investigation, and another plausible reason came to notice in order to ensure concealment of deliberate inaction leading to undue favours to the dera premis and to accomplish the notice of suppression of protest through their conduct, circumstances were so created and facilitate by deliberate recklessness of master executor IGP Paramraj Singh Umaranagal and co-executors, which had provided the ground to maliciously turn the peaceful protest into violent one that too by the defiant section which was maliciously and voluntarily neglected by the experienced senior officers and under the grab of which multiple illegal acts were executed in furtherance of predetermined agenda and clandestine design.

SIT decodes 42 calls between Saini, Umaranagal

SIT in the chargesheet has given a record of 42 calls between former director general of police Sumedh Singh Saini and Umaranagal further dividing them into four categories– conspiracy (15), preparation (10), execution (5) and concealment (12).

SIT said that the pattern of exchange of various calls between Umaranagal and Saini starting from October 12, 2015, to October 14, 2015, reflecting conspiracy, preparation, execution and concealment and ensuring his presence in Kotkapura in violation of statutory provisions under section 36 of CrPC and culminates with remaining there after the incident without any written order from the then competent authority.