Sacrilege panel seeks info from Sukhbir, Sampla

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 23

The Justice Ranjit Singh Commission has sought a response from former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union Minister Vijay Sampla following their statements in a memorandum submitted to the Governor on the incidents of sacrilege.

Justice Ranjit Singh had recently written to the Chief Secretary for providing the memorandum’s copy submitted by “some political party leaders”. The note had mentioned a deep-rooted conspiracy, having national ramifications, behind the incidents. The commission had stated that evidence to this effect had not surfaced before it so far.

The commission, it its communication to Sukhbir and Sampla, is believed to have written that information on the incidents mentioned in the memorandum submitted under their signatures was vital for the ongoing inquiry. They have been asked to urgently share the information through a duly sworn affidavit either by appearing in person or through post.

Set up to probe the incidents in the state in 2015, the commission has also recommended the transferring of two FIRs on firing in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan village to an independent body, such as the special investigating team, headed by DIG RS Khatra. The recommendation came after the panel took note of the unacceptable nature of probe, apparently to protect policemen, in the FIRs registered in October 2015, after the death of two persons.

Justice Ranjit Singh has written to the Punjab DGP that a meaningful, fair and proper investigation was not possible by the Faridkot district police. They had purposely and, perhaps, intentionally not carried out investigation, which could be to help the police officers involved in the cases.

Nearly three months after the commission wrote to the Punjab government on “bullet tampering”, the commission has also shot off another communication to the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory to express its opinion whether the “jacket to bullet” was fired from self-loading rifles (SLR) or assault rifle AK-47.

The communique assumes significance as the policemen deployed at Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot in October 2015 were carrying both SLR and AK-47. The identification of weapon type used in the firing would help the commission zero in on the policemen involved.

Available information suggests the commission has also asked the Punjab Forensic Science Laboratory Director to express his opinion whether the jacket to bullet had some matching features with AK-47, which could be sent for an examination.

The commission had earlier asserted that it was intriguing to notice that the Punjab FSL did not find tampering with grooves of a bullet extracted from a victim’s body after Behbal Kalan firing, though Chandigarh-based CFSL found it to have been extensively tampered with.

The panel had also asked for issuance of necessary directions to the state DGP for detailing an officer for looking into the matter.

‘Vital for inquiry’ 

The Justice Ranjit Singh Commission, it its communication to Sukhbir and Sampla, is believed to have written that information on the incidents mentioned in the memorandum submitted to the Governor under their signatures was vital for the ongoing inquiry. They have been asked to urgently share the information through a duly sworn affidavit either by appearing in person or through post.