Kotkapura firing case: Ex-CM Badal, Sukhbir move anticipatory bail pleas
Two weeks after the special investigation team probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday submitted anticipatory bail applications in the Faridkot court in connection with this case.
Two weeks after the special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case, former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday submitted anticipatory bail applications in the Faridkot court in connection with this case.
The court of additional district and sessions judge Faridkot on Thursday issued notice to the state government for March 14, the next date of hearing.
On February 24, the Punjab Police SIT led by ADGP LK Yadav filed a chargesheet in a court in Faridkot naming former CM Parkash Singh Badal, his son and deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and six police officers including then Punjab police chief Sumedh Singh Saini. Following the chargesheet, Faridkot judicial magistrate ordered all eight accused to appear before the court on March 23.
In Kotkapura, several Sikh protesters were injured after police opened fire on October 14, 2015, during a stir against the Bargari sacrilege incident.
In the bail application, Badals submitted that this issue was politicised and an investigation conducted by former IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was already been quashed by the Punjab and Haryana high court on these grounds. “Since 2022 assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government was hell-bent to array applicants (Badals) as accused in this case,” they stated.
They also alleged that SIT and the state government violated the directions given by HC while quashing previous SIT investigations in 2021. “SIT was asked to work without any interference but the political leaders of the ruling party continuously visited at Morcha going on at Behbal Kalan and assured that names of applicants will be arrayed as accused,” they added.