Police tampered with CCTV footage too: SIT

Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service
Faridkot, February 23

The SIT on Saturday alleged that the cops involved in firing on peaceful protesters in Kotkapura tampered with the CCTV footage of the incident. While seeking the extension of the police remand of IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, who was arrested on February 18, the SIT on Saturday claimed that to hide their illegal act of unprovoked firing on peaceful protesters in Kotkapura, the CCTV footage was damaged or tampered with at the instance of accused officers.

The CCTV cameras were installed by the traffic police at the main chowk in Kotkapura where the firing took place on October 14, 2015.

Playing some video clips in the court today, which were taken from some locals, the SIT claimed that these videos showed that the cops were guilty of unprovoked firing.

Claiming that the police resorted to firing in self-defence, counsels for Umranangal also played some videos in the court. They alleged that the protesters were armed with sharp weapons and the police acted in self-defence.

Opposing the theory, the SIT claimed that no prior permission was taken from the SDM before resorting to firing. The incident took place at 7 am as per the statement of the then SHO and the FIR was registered at 10.40 am, but nowhere it is mentioned that the police had taken the prior permission from the duty magistrate, the SIT claimed.

Instead, after the incident, the cops forced the duty magistrate to give the permission. The duty magistrate had admitted to this fact in his statement to the SIT, the counsel for the SIT told the court.

Alleging that Umranangal was not cooperating in the investigation, the SIT had demanded his remand for 10 more days, but the court allowed it for three days.

Sacrilege probe: Accused turned witness?

• Alleged understanding of the SIT with an accused of “fabrication” of bullet marks on the escort gypsy of former Moga SSP has raised many eyebrows. 
• Using a personal .12 bore gun, the bullets marks were allegedly made by an SP-rank officer at the house of Sohali Singh Brar in Faridkot on October 14, 2015 to help cops take the plea of self-defence. 
• Sohail gave a statement to this effect in the court on Friday. Since the SIT has not arrested him, it is being alleged that he had been made a witness under pressure.
• Satinder Singh, SIT member, declined to comment on the matter, saying the investigation was underway.