CHANDIGARH: Punjab former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Saini and suspended inspector general of police (IGP) Paramraj Umranangal have been nominated as accused in the first information report (FIR) in the Behbal Kalan case registered at Bajakhana police station.
The special investigation team (SIT) probing the 2015 police firing incidents has done so after finding both the persons involved in the conspiracy of the Police firing that killed two Sikhs—Gurjit Singh of Sarawan village and Krishan Bhagwan Singh of Niamiwala village on October 14, 2015, during peaceful protest being undertaken by sangat seeking justice in Bargari sacrilege case.
As per sources, they have been accused of criminal conspiracy, but the SIT won’t arrest them immediately as the Punjab and Haryana high court has asked it to give them a seven-day notice before initiating action against them in the police firing cases. So, the SIT is gearing up to issue notices to both.
Prior to this, SIT member IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh had told the Faridkot court that then Saini and Umranangal were the main persons who hatched conspiracy in the Behbal Kalan firing incident.
Umranangal, who was the then Ludhiana police commissioner, is also an accused in the Kotkapura police firing incident of October 14, 2015.
Saini is also an accused the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani disappearance and murder case. Thanks to the leniency shown by Punjab Police to arrest him, he secured a stay on his arrest from the Supreme Court (SC) of India a few days ago.
Saini had filed a petition in the SC challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s September 7 order dismissing his anticipatory bail plea in the case.
The development in both cases is turning to be focused on the politics of Punjab. The SAD (Badal) remained under fire for appointing Saini as Punjab DGP during its regime, despite he had history of massacring the innocent Sikh youths during the militancy.
On the other hand, the SAD (Badal)-controlled Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) faced backlash from Sikh masses for honouring Umranangal on the premises of Sri Harmandar Sahib with ‘siropa’ (robe of honour). The SGPC had to punish its staffers who honoured and facilitated him. Besides, the SGPC member Bhagwant Singh Sialka had to tender an apology for this as he was among those who presented him ‘siropa’.
Both the cops are named as notorios in the fake encounter cases in Punjab.
