Welcoming the Special Investigation Team (SIT) decision to summon former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on 16 June in connection with the Kotkapua Police firing case, Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa has said that it is a step in the right direction. Speaking to ANI on phone, Partap Singh Bajwa said, “The summoning of Parkash Singh Badal, former Chief Minister, by the Special Investigation Team investigating the Kotkapura police firing case is a step in the right direction. In the previous investigation which was set aside by the High Court vide its judgement dated 9 April 2021, it had been observed that the previous SIT had not arrayed Badals as accused. The role of the Badals in the police firing case is that of an accused, fact known to everyone.”
“I had specifically stated that instead of challenging the judgement of the High Court before the Supreme Court, a new SIT should be constituted and the investigation should be concluded within 30 to 45 days (out of which more than 15 days have already passed).”
The Congress leader said that the need of the hour is to conduct a fair investigation wherein the role of the then Chief Minister S Parkash Singh Badal, the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and DGP Sumedh Singh Saini are brought out.
“They should be made to face a trial for their illegal actions of ordering the police to fire on innocent people, who were only seeking action against the culprits responsible for sacrilege by sitting on a peaceful dharna reciting Paath (prayers). Once the investigation is concluded within a month, an application must also be filed for day-to-day hearing of the case before the Trial Court at Faridkot.”
The three-member SIT was constituted on May 7 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The high court had quashed the Punjab Police SIT’s report into the Kotkapura police firing incident in which police opened fire at people protesting against the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot in 2015.