Sikh outfits oppose SP Jagdish Bishnoi's posting in Faridkot

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 16

Sikh organisations demanding justice in sacrilege incidents of 2015 have opposed the posting of Jagdish Bishnoi as the Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) here.

The police officer faced criticism for allegedly not taking preventive measures to check the incidents when he was posted as the Jaito DSP in 2015. Several Sikh organisations have been protesting at Behbal Kalan for the past about seven months, demanding justice in the police firing incident of October 2015.

Several Sikh outfits claimed Bishnoi, who was transferred from Muktsar to Faridkot two days ago, would hamper the investigation into sacrilege and police firing incidents.

“Bebhal Kalan and Bargari, the epicentre of the sacrilege and police firing incidents, were under the jurisdiction of the Jaito DSP,” said Sukhraj Singh, son of Bhagwan Krishan Singh, one of the two persons killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015.

In its findings about the sacrilege incidents, the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission had held Bishnoi responsible for not taking preventive measures in spite of a warning. “Sacrilege incidents took place because the police were negligent,” alleged Sukhraj.

He also claimed the police had burnt one of their vehicles on October 14, 2015, to frame the protesters and that vehicle belonged to then Jaito DSP.

Sadhu Singh, father of Gurjit Singh, who was also killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan, said: “The investigation is already moving at a snail’s pace. No police officer, who is remotely related to the sacrilege incidents, should be posted in Faridkot until the probe is complete.”

When contacted, Bishnoi said he was never nominated as an accused in the Behbal Kalan police firing case. “I have no personal interest in occupying the post of the SP (H) in Faridkot. My transfer was decided at the level of the state government and the Police Department,” he added.

Can hamper probe

Jagdish Bishnoi, who was the Jaito DSP in 2015, can hamper the probe into sacrilege and police firing incidents. — Sukhraj Singh, son of police firing victim

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