CHANDIGARH, Punjab—While presenting IG Paramraj Umranangal before the Faridkot Court on February 23, the Special Investigation Team informed the Court that the Police cops indulged in Kotkapura firing incidents had tampered the CCTV footage to hide their illegal act of unprovoked firing on peacefully protesting Sikhs. Notably, this tampering was done to the footage from the CCTV cameras installed by the traffic police at the main chowk in Kotkapura where the firing took place on October 14, 2015.
To prove the fact, the SIT played some video clips of the CCTV footages before the Court which were collected from the locals.
The SIT further informed the Court that the Police cops didn’t take any permission from the Magistrate to open fire on the peacefully protesting Sikhs on October 14, 2015. “The incident took place at 7 am as per the statement of the then SHO and the FIR was registered at 10.40 am, but nowhere it is mentioned that the police had taken the prior permission from the duty magistrate,” SIT told the Court.
The SIT further informed the Court that the Duty Magistrate was forced to give permission after the incident took place. “The duty magistrate had admitted before the SIT that he signed the order under pressure after the Kotkapura firing incident,” said the SIT.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the legal counsels of Paramraj Umranangal claimed before the Court that the protesters were equipped with sharp edged weapons and the Police acted in “self-defense”.
