7 years after Kotkapura firing: SIT seeks identification of suspected person from pre-incident video - Hindustan Times
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7 years after Kotkapura firing: SIT seeks identification of suspected person from pre-incident video

By, Faridkot
Mar 05, 2023 11:16 PM IST

More than seven years after the post-sacrilege police firing incident at Kotkapura, the special investigation team led- by ADGP LK Yadav has released a video of the protest site minutes before the incident seeking help from people to identify a suspected person.

More than seven years after the post-sacrilege police firing incident at Kotkapura, the special investigation team (SIT) led- by ADGP LK Yadav has released a video of the protest site minutes before the incident seeking help from people to identify a suspected person.

The 11-second video, dated October 14, 2015, is a CCTV footage of few minutes before the incident. SIT has sought the help from people to identify a man in a white shirt and sky-blue trousers holding a baseball bat in his hand. (Video grab)
The 11-second video, dated October 14, 2015, is a CCTV footage of few minutes before the incident. SIT has sought the help from people to identify a man in a white shirt and sky-blue trousers holding a baseball bat in his hand. (Video grab)

The 11-second video, dated October 14, 2015, is a CCTV footage of few minutes before the incident. SIT has sought the help from people to identify a man in a white shirt and sky-blue trousers holding a baseball bat in his hand. He can be seen walking near the peacefully sitting protesters at Kotkapura chowk.

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SIT has said that the identity of the person, who will help in identifying the suspected person will not be disclosed.

In Kotkapura, a number of Sikh protesters were injured after police opened fire on October 14, 2015, when they were protesting against the Bargari sacrilege incident.

On February 24, the Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) filed a chargesheet in FIR registered in 2018 in the Kotkapura firing case naming then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his deputy and son Sukhbir Badal, and then state police chief Sumedh Singh Saini among seven, as key accused.

Meanwhile, then Kotkapura SHO Gurdeep Pandher was named in a chargesheet filed in FIR registered by him against the protesters on October 14, 2015 in connection with Kotkapura firing.

As per sources, the SIT is trying to establish the evidence how the incident started at Kotkapura protest site. While quashing previous probe team’s investigation in Kotkapura firing case in 2021, Punjab and Haryana high court had observed that as per record “protesters were resorting to large-scale violence”.

“The integrity of the investigation totally stands demolished because of this manipulation on the part of respondent 3 (then IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh), as he repeatedly pressed that the police resorted to unprovoked firing on peaceful protestors; despite the fact that the magistrate present on the spot had assessed the situation that had arisen on the spot and had granted permission to use tear gas in the first instance, lathicharge thereafter, and the gun firing at the third stage. As per record, this permission was granted on the basis that the protestors were resorting to large scale violence and destruction of property; and that because of this the situation had gone out of control. Description of Second Inquiry Commission also recorded the protestors to have chased and attacked the police, including with the swords,” HC quashing order reads.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Parteek Singh Mahal is a multimedia correspondent based at Faridkot in Punjab. He covers medical education, politics and Punjab police.

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