SIT probing sacrilege cases misses deadline

Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 24

The SIT probing the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents has missed its six-month deadline by two weeks even as CM Charanjit Singh Channi and PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu have been pressing for justice in sacrilege and related cases.

The government under then CM Capt Amarinder Singh had set the May 7 deadline while constituting the new SIT after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dissolved the earlier SIT led by DGP Prabodh Kumar.

Congress leaders led by Sidhu had then criticised Capt Amarinder for giving a “long time” to the new SIT to finish the probe. However, despite change in leadership and slugfest between Congress leaders over the appointment of APS Deol, who represented former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini in sacrilege cases, as Advocate General, the SIT is yet to finish the probe.

Two Sikh activists protesting sacrilege were killed in police firing in Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015. In a related incident the same day, several protesters were injured in police firing in Kotkapura.

The SIT is probing if the decision to open fire was due to circumstances on the ground or was deliberately given by senior police officers or a political authority.

Sources said the probe conducted so far by the SIT, led by ADGP LK Yadav with IG Rakesh Aggarwal and DIG Surjit Singh as its members, was scheduled to be discussed next week with legal experts.

When approached, Advocate General Deepender Singh Patwalia refused to comment on the delay. Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Sidhu could not be contacted.

Top dera officials summoned by SIT

The SIT probing sacrilege cases on Wednesday summoned Vipassana Insan, chairperson, Dera Sacha Sauda, and Dr PR Nain, senior vice-chairperson, for questioning in Ludhiana on November 26. It is alleged that sacrilege incidents were planned at the dera headquarters in Sirsa.