SAD to lodge plaint against Rahul Gandhi for political meddling in Kotkapura firing case

With the Punjab Assembly Elections approaching and the role of Badals under scanner in the Kotkapura firing case, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has said that it would file a police complaint against former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and others for political interference in the investigation of the 2015 incident which led to the death of two persons. Former Minister in CM Parkash Singh Badal's cabinet, Bikram Singh Majthia said that the SAD will be filing a police complaint against Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, the SIT members, Vigilance chief and Advisor Chahal. 

Majithia has alleged that the aforementioned persons, including Rahul Gandhi, have indulged in forgery and criminal conspiracy to implicate former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The senior Badal was the Punjab CM during the Kotkapura firing case and accused of having ordered police action whereas his son Sukhbir Singh Badal, was the deputy CM of the state and is also an accused in the matter. 

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Bikram Majithia said PCC chief Sunil Jakhar had let the cat out of the bag by announcing that Rahul Gandhi had issued orders to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh to frame the Badal family in the sacrilege case. “This constitutes a criminal conspiracy,” he said. 

The SAD leader said that since the Vigilance department was practically running the SIT by deputing its officers with the SIT team formed to probe the Kotkapura firing case, it was clear that Vigilance Director BK Uppal and Adviser BIS Chahal, who worked closely with the former, were part of the alleged conspiracy and should be booked under section 120 (b) IPC.

Congress wants probe against Badals; SAD retorts

While Congress was elected to power on the promise of bringing the accused to book, the SAD has claimed that the Captain Amarinder Singh-led government has been conspiring to achieve political mileage from the case. SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal has been summoned to appear before the SIT on June 26. On June 22, SIT had questioned former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at his Chandigarh residence. 

In 2018, the first SIT had questioned both Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal in reference to the Kotkapura firing case. But the High Court demolished the investigation as no answers were found as to who passed the order to fire at the protesters. During the first SIT investigation, the 12 police officials deployed at the Kotkapura chowk on that day in 2015 were examined. They were in the ranks of constable to the inspector. And 21 more people related to the case were investigated. Complete line of power who was in charge during the incident is under investigation including Sub Divisional Magistrate (SGM), Director General of Police (DGP), Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Home Minister, Chief Minister.  

The Punjab Police opened fire on protestors demonstrating against the issue of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in October 2015. The incident had led to the death of two protestors causing a widespread uproar across the state.