Kotkapura firing case: SIT urges people to share additional info on April 6

Chandigarh: The Punjab police’s special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident on Monday invited people to share any additional information related to the case on April 6.

Earlier, SIT head additional director general of police (ADGP) LK Yadav had asked people to share relevant information, which may have a bearing upon the case by personally meeting him in his office in Chandigarh on March 16, 23 and 30. However, March 30 was a holiday on account of Ram Navami.

Incidents of theft of the “bir” (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up of handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book being found in Bargari had triggered protests in Faridkot in 2015.

Two people were killed in Behbal Kalan, while some were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot after police opened fire at protesters in October 2015.

The SIT invited people to share any relevant information about the case on April 6.

In a statement, Yadav said people could also share information in this regard by sending a message on WhatsApp number 98759-83237, or by sending a mail to newsit2021kotkapuracase@gmail.com.

Even at this stage, any input or information provided by any responsible individual might help the SIT in completing the legal process of investigation at the earliest, he added.

The ADGP also expressed gratitude to people of Punjab for their cooperation with the SIT.

The SIT had in February filed a chargesheet in a court in Faridkot naming former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, ex-DGP Sumedh Saini and others.

Sukhbir and Saini were named as “masterminds of conspiracy for use of illegal excessive force to hide the inaction” of the state on three sacrilege incidents in Faridkot. Parkash Badal was blamed for “facilitating the execution of the conspiracy” in the 7,000-page chargesheet.