Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal moved anticipatory bail petitions in the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case in Faridkot district court on Thursday.
The petitions of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders will be heard on March 14 in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Rajeev Kalda. The JMIC court (Judicial Magistrate First Class) issued notices to Badals and other accused in the case on March 6 and ordered them to appear on March 23.
The case dates back to October 14, 2015, when two people were killed when the police allegedly opened fire on a crowd of protestors at Kotkapura.
The chargesheet was filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on February 24 in the Kotkapura firing case. Former Director General of Police Sumedh Saini and other police officials are also accused in the case.
Earlier in December last year, the father-son duo had appeared before the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident that took place against the anti-sacrilege protesters that occurred after the desecration of the holy book of Sikhs in Punjab’s Kotkapura on October 14.
In 2015, sacrilege incidents occurred between June and October following the theft of the sacred Guru Granth Sahib from a Gurudwara in Burj Jawaharsinghwala, Faridkot, and the discovery of torn pages from the Holy Book in Bargari, Faridkot.
The incidents caused widespread discontent and outrage among members of the Sikh community, and there were demonstrations in the state.
A similar demonstration was taking place on October 14 in Bahibal Kalan, a village near Bargari, where the police opened fire at the protesters and two people died. Although the families of both the deceased have received compensation of Rs 90 lakh each in the case, they have been
demanding punishment for the culprits.