Clash between Nihangs, police: Bikram Singh Majithia seeks CBI probe, FIR against Punjab CM

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

Former minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia today demanded a CBI probe or a Punjab and Haryana High Court monitored inquiry into the alleged unprovoked police attack on the sangat at Gurdwara Akal Bunga in Sultanpur Sahib on November 23 last.

Majithia showed 17 video clips to prove that the police fired at the gurdwara using ALRs, SLRs and AK 47s when the early morning ritual of path was being done, which got disrupted. He sought the registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, IG Jalandhar Range Dr S Bhoopathi, Kapurthala SSP Vatsala Gupta, Phagwara DSP Jaspreet Singh and ASIs Jaspal Singh and Lakhwinder Singh.

He has been alleging that the police had been working at the behest of the CM who wanted that the possession of the gurdwara be given to a particular section of Nihang Singhs to whom he and his family were very close.

Asserting that the entire attack on the gurdwara was pre-planned, Majithia said the police force conducted a reconnaissance of the gurdwara at 5 pm, 7 pm and 10 pm a day before but did not attempt to enter the premises due to the presence of a large number of devotees.

He also presented a video surveillance of the gurdwara showing how senior police officers gathered at the site, then asked for weapons and finally use of automatic weapons by an ASI, besides others. He also showed a video of a Nihang Singh entreating the police not to attack the religious shrine.

Majithia said: “All this proves that this was a one-sided attack on the gurdwara”. He showed a video of the rampant automatic firing being done at the site adding “only the police force has such automatic weapons”.

Asserting that only an independent probe could reveal the truth in the case, the SAD leader said it was a travesty of justice that SSP Gupta, who had led the attack, had been appointed the head of the SIT formed to probe the attack. The SIT formed just two days after the incident is yet to give its report. The SGPC committee, however, blames the police for the incident in its independent report. No senior police officer was ready to come on record and comment on the matter. Majithia said two mediapersons whose phones were confiscated and were attacked by an ASI posted in Tarn Taran while capturing the incident also have been seeking justice.

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#Bikram Majithia #Central Bureau of Investigation CBI #Shiromani Akali Dal