HC notice to Punjab on Sukhbir’s plea for CBI probe into bid on life
Shiromani Akali Dal leader says Punjab Police inquiry into attack by former militant Narain Singh Chaura on him outside Golden Temple in Amritsar on December 4 last year was “biased and marred by ulterior motives”. Chaura was recently granted bail.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday sought a response from the Punjab government on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal’s plea for a probe by either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the “murderous attack” on him at Golden Temple, Amritsar, on December 4 last year.
Punjab Police had registered a case after former militant Narain Singh Chaura opened fire at the 62-year-old leader when he was performing the duty of “sewadar” at the main entrance of the holiest Sikh shrine as penance for “mistakes” committed during the SAD government’s rule in Punjab from 2007-17. The incident was captured by mediapersons, who had gathered at the site to cover the second day of Sukhbirs’ atonement. Sukhbir had a narrow escape as Chaura was overpowered by policemen in plainclothes and he missed the target. He was arrested and booked for attempt to murder.
The high court bench of justice Tribhuvan Dahiya sought the government’s response by April 30.
In the plea, the SAD leader alleged that Punjab Police’s investigation into the attack has been “biased, unfair, and marred by ulterior motives”, necessitating the transfer of the case to an independent agency.
“The investigating agency has deliberately attempted to dilute the gravity of the crime by misrepresenting facts in the first information report (FIR) and the final report. The case was registered after an inordinate delay on the statement of a person who was not an eyewitness. The petitioner’s own statement was never recorded, demonstrating the intentional misdirection of the investigation,” the plea said.
An Amritsar court granted bail to Chaura on March 25. The plea alleged that the accused, a history-sheeter and terrorist, had been granted bail due to “investigative lapses”.
“CCTV footage and witness statements suggest a deep-rooted conspiracy involving additional individuals, who have not been adequately investigated. The investigating agency appears to be acting under political influence, compromising the fairness of the probe,” it said, adding in light of “evident lapses, bias, and political interference in the investigation”, the case be transferred to an independent agency.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Police’s new special investigation team (SIT) inquiring into a drug trafficking case against Sukhbir’s brother-in-law and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, 49, moved a Mohali court on Wednesday, seeking search warrants. The matter comes up for hearing on Saturday.
