Punjab Cong chief Sidhu puts state govt in fix over Kotkapura police firing probe

Lashing out at the State Government Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday asked where is the charge sheet in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident. He said that the High Court had directed to complete the probe in six months, then

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday targeted his party-led state government, asking for charge sheet in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident. Addressing the media here, Sidhu said the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed to complete the probe, preferably, within six months.

"Today six months and one day have passed. Where is the charge sheet (in the matter)," Sidhu asked. He also asked why a special leave petition has not been filed against the blanket bail given to former director-general of police Sumedh Singh Saini, one of the accused in the firing incident.

The High Court in April had quashed the probe by a Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) into the 2015 Kotkapura firing at a gathering of Sikh demonstrators, who were protesting incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot in that year. The court had quashed the probe by the SIT headed by the then IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. He later took premature retirement.

Following the high court order, a new SIT was formed on May 7. The new SIT was led by the Additional Director General of Police L.K. Yadav to probe the Kotkapura firing incident. The state had witnessed incidents related to the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent police firing on people protesting over the issue in Faridkot in 2015.

One incident of police firing had taken place at Kotkapura and the second was at Behbal Kalan in Faridkot. Sidhu has been opposing the appointment of the state's advocate general, A.P. S Deol, and officiating director general of police IPSS Sahota.

PTI