SIT files chargesheet against Moga ex-SSP in Behbal firing

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, April 24

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Punjab Police on Wednesday filed a 792-page chargesheet against former Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma in the police firing incident at Behbal Kalan, in which two persons were killed, in October 2015.

The chargesheet has been filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Faridkot. It has been filed two days before Sharma getting default bail under Section 167 of the CrPC.

Sharma was arrested on January 27 from Hoshiarpur. Had the SIT not filed the chargesheet before April 26, Sharma was entitled for default bail, following completion of his 90 days of police and judicial custody.

Former SSP, Sharma is at present lodged in the Patiala jail and hearing on his bail application is pending at the Punjab and Haryana High Court for May 7.

On the controversy over keeping four persons as accused or witness in this case, the SIT on Wednesday retained all these four “suspects”, including an advocate, Maruti car agency’s owner, his security guard and manager, as witnesses.

In its chargesheet, the SIT claimed that to fabricate false evidence against the peaceful protesters at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, former SSP Charanjit Sharma’s escort gypsy was taken to the house of a lawyer in Faridkot where Bikramjit Singh, then Fazilka SP, had asked a car dealer to arrange for a gun.

The dealer reportedly sent his company’s manager and his private security guard to provide a gun to Bikramjit Singh and the latter had fired from this gun to fabricate 18 bullet marks on the escort gypsy at the advocate’s residence.

While the SIT has retained the advocate, car agency owner, his manager and security guard as witnesses, the public prosecutor had earlier objected to this move of the SIT, saying they were among the prime accused in fabricating false evidence against innocent persons.

However, the SIT has offered the logic of them being accused without any discernible mens rea (intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime). The chargesheet against all other four accused police officers, including suspended IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, in this case will be filed later.

What it says...

• In its chargesheet, the SIT claimed that to fabricate false evidence against the peaceful protesters at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015, former SSP Charanjit Sharma's escort gypsy was taken to the house of a lawyer in Faridkot where Bikramjit Singh, then Fazilka SP, had asked a car dealer to arrange for a gun.
• The dealer reportedly sent his company's manager and his private security guard to provide a gun to Bikramjit Singh and the latter had fired from this gun to fabricate 18 bullet marks on the escort gypsy at the advocate's residence.