SIT questions Parkash Singh Badal for 3 hours in Kotkapura firing case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 22

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the Kotkapura police firing incident on Monday questioned former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal at his residence in Chandigarh.

Badal was questioned for three hours, which began at 10 am ended at 1 pm.

The SIT team led by ADGP LK Yadav quizzed the former chief minister at his official residence in MLA flats. 

Earlier, the SIT had rescheduled his questioning after Badal expressed inability to appear before the panel on June 16 at a rest house in Mohali.

Citing ill-health and his age, besides provisions of law in questioning a witness, Badal had asked the SIT to visit his Chandigarh house.

"Still not in good health, Badal, however, is keen to fulfill his legal and constitutional duties as a law-abiding citizen of the country," his Principal Adviser Harcharan Bains had said.

Meanwhile, the SIT into Kotkapura police firing incident courted a controversy during questioning of Badal when it "took along a retired director, prosecution, Punjab, Vijay Singla, posing as a DSP".

The SAD president told The Tribune that the real identity was known when they questioned his credentials.

He said the SIT violated the High Court order by taking along a retired official under a fake identity. “This smacks of a conspiracy and proves our point that the whole probe was politicised, " he said.

The response of the SIT is awaited.