SIT indicts Badals, ex-DGP Sumedh Saini in Kotkapura case
Faridkot, February 24
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Kotkapura police firing case of 2015 on Friday filed a chargesheet in a local court, indicting SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini as “masterminds”, besides naming former CM Parkash Singh Badal among others.
Who all are named
Ex-CM PS Badal | Sukhbir Badal | Ex-DGP SS Saini | IGP PS Umranangal | Ex-SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma | Ex-DIG AS Chahal | Ex-SSP SS Mann | Ex-SHO Gurdeep Singh
In the 7,000-page chargesheet, the SIT has also indicted IGP Paramraj Singh Umranangal, former SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, former DIG Amar Singh Chahal, former SSP Sukhminder Singh Mann and former Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh.
Faridkot SSP Harjeet Singh claimed former DGP Saini and Sukhbir Badal were the masterminds of the conspiracy to illegally use excessive force on protesters holding a peaceful dharna at Kotkapura on October 14, 2015, leaving many injured.
He alleged that it was a bid to suppress resentment over inaction on the part of the then state government over three sacrilege incidents at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and Bargari. The SSP said as per the chargesheet, former CM Badal, Umranangal, Chahal and Sharma facilitated the execution of the conspiracy. Former Faridkot SSP Mann and former Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Singh were also part of the plan to distort and conceal facts.
“At least 1,400 pages of the chargesheet give details of the culpability of the accused and the remaining 5,600 pages contain supportive documents and evidences,” he said.
Earlier, ADGP LK Yadav, the SIT chief, reached Faridkot to submit the chargesheet in the court of Judicial Magistrate 1st Class today.
The Kotkapura police firing incident took place on October 14, 2015, following which the police had registered a criminal case against the protesters. However, with the change of government, a fresh FIR under Sections 307, 326, 324, 323, 341, 201, 218, 120B and 34 of the IPC was registered at the Kotkapura city police station on August 7, 2018.
