SAD chief Sukhbir Badal quizzed for 5 hours in 2015 Kotkapura police firing case

PTI

Chandigarh, September 14

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday was questioned for more than five hours by a Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case.

The SIT, led by Additional Director General of Police LK Yadav, summoned the SAD chief, who was then deputy chief minister and also held home portfolio, for appearance before the probe team.

Badal reached the Punjab Police Officers' Institute here at around 11 am for questioning and left the venue at around 4.30 pm.

Senior party leaders and supporters gathered outside the officers' institute and raised slogans against the AAP government. Police had put up barricades outside the venue.

The case relates to the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari in Faridkot in 2015.

These incidents had triggered protests, and two persons, Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Bhagwan Singh, were killed in Behbal Kalan and few injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot in police firing.

After being questioned, Badal slammed the AAP government, accusing it of raking up the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan cases purely to "divert attention from its scandals”.

The SAD president on the Kotkapura firing case said all police actions are part of a laid down procedure. "The decisions are taken by the administration. I am repeatedly being asked questions about the firing incident even though it is clear that this action was taken by the authorized officer,” Badal told reporters here.

Asking about the SIT to be fair and objective, Badal said, “I am ready for questioning 100 times but this issue should not be politicized.” Asserting that the AAP government was also following in the footsteps of the previous Congress government, Badal said, “I am being summoned repeatedly to divert attention from the scandals of this government, the latest one being the extortion scam of minister Fauja Singh Sarari”.

Stating that three cases were being investigated, Badal said while investigation into the main case of sacrilege was over with the AAP government submitting the final challan in the case, the two cases of firing at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura were being probed now.

 “People want the culprits in all these cases to be brought to book and punished for their deeds, but this government is only playing politics on this issue,” he said. 

To a question on 'Operation Lotus', Badal said “there is smoke only where there is fire. It is clear that the AAP legislators are up for grabs. That is why a value is being put on them. They should not become ready partners to switch sides. Then no one will solicit their support or offer to purchase them”.

Earlier, the SIT had summoned Badal on August 30 but the SAD chief did not appear before it and the party had then said that he had not been served summons.

On September 6, Badal was questioned by another SIT investigating the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing incident.