Zora Singh report questions police role

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

The Justice Zora Singh Commission may have fallen short of unraveling the conspiracy behind the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the theft of the holy book from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in Faridkot district last year. But it has raised question over the role of both the police and Sikh preachers in the protest.

The report, which was handed over to the government last night, has not been made public so far.

However, TNS has learnt that the 51-page report, in its second and third part, dealing with the Kotkapura incident and the Behbal Kalan incident of October 14, has said that had the preachers appealed to the protestors for peace, the situation would not have become tense.

Sikh preachers Bhai Panthpreet Singh and Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale were at the forefront of the agitation, and on October 14, when the police action was initiated, the two preachers were amongst those leading the protest at Kotkapura. Both preachers were examined by the commission.

Sources say that the report has also raised a question mark over the police role in dealing with protestors at both Kotkapura chowk and Behbal Kalan.

The then Moga SSP, Charanjit Sharma (who was later suspended) had reached Behbal Kalan along with the SHO of Baja Khana police station, A S Kular, and had led the police action on protestors, in which two persons were killed in police firing.

On the same day, the police had lathi- charged protestors at Kotkapura chowk, allegedly to disperse the protestors and take possession of the torn pages of the holy book which were in the possession of these protestors.

Sources said that the then Commissioner, Ludhiana range, P S Umaranangal, was heading the police operation.

The inquiry report, while not indicting any officer, reportedly says that the police charged at the protestors without issuing a warning that it was an unlawful assembly of protestors and if they did not disperse, action would be initiated.

The report says that the firing on protestors could have been avoided and had the police not fired at the protestors, the tense situation could have ebbed on its own, rather than spilling all over the state.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the inquiry report handed over to the Chief Secretary, will now be given to the Home Department, along with all relevant record. Since the inquiry report has also made certain recommendations – regarding compensation to be given to the families of protestors who died and those who were injured, as well as constitution of a settlement commission- the home department will put these recommendations before the CM.