Can’t Blame Paramraj Umranangal for Kotkapura Firing Incident, says Court

CHANDIGARH, Punjab—Giving a setback to the honest efforts of the Special Investigation Team to crack Kotkapura and Behbal Klan firing cases, the district and sessions court of Faridkot on March 11 said that the suspended IG Paramraj Umranangal can’t be blamed for Kotkapura firing incident as he was deputed by the then DGP Sumedh Saini. The Court further said that none of the victims of Kotkapura firing incident named Umranangal as leading or commanding the police team that caused injuries to them.

It may be recalled here that after arresting Umranangal on February 18, the SIT member IG Kunwar Vijay Partap Singh had said that Umranangal was commanding the Police cops at Kotkapura and force in strength had gone there (the spot where protesters were sitting) from Ludhiana.

Nullifying the SIT’s version, the sessions judge Harpal Singh said that none of the injured person in his statement before the SIT had said that Umranangal was leading or commanding the police team. “Even the complainant in this attempt of murder case, Ajit Singh, has not named Umranangal as accused,” said the Court while adding that DIGs Ranbir Singh Khatra, Amar Singh Chahal and SSP Sukhminder Singh Mann and other police officers were also named by the protesters who pressurized them to lift the sit-in-strike.

A police vehicle used to operate water cannon was set afire and its driver was brutally beaten up by the protesters, said the Sessions Judge Harpal Singh.

During the Court proceedings, Umranangal produced MLR (Medical Loss Ratio) and Out Patient Department (OPD) record of more than 40 police officials who were “injured” during the clash. Beside it, he also presented the CCTV footage in the Court to prove his “innocence” to secure bail.

Although the SIT tried to oppose the bail of Umranangal by apprising the Court that he could influence the witnesses in the case, but still the Court gave him bail by saying that the investigation in the case was underway so he can’t be kept behind bars for an “indefinite” period.  

The court ordered that Umranangal be released from the custody subject to his furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of Rs 50,000.

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