Bargari sacrilege: SIT summons Badal father-son duo, Akshay Kumar

Actor Akshay Kumar, former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal have been summoned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the police firing incidents in the wake of the Bargari sacrilege case.

Kumar and the Badal father-son duo have been summoned for questioning in connection with the investigation next week.

Parkash Singh Badal has been asked to appear before the SIT on November 16, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal has been summoned on November 19 while Akshay Kumar has been asked to come on November 21 to the Circuit House in Amritsar.

The summon orders have been issued separately for the three on behalf of the SIT by its member, IPG (OCCU) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh.

Singh said that the summons relates to "investigation of cases originating from the various incidents of sacrilege in the year 2015 {FIR No. 129, dated 07.08.2018 under Section 307, 323, 341, 148, 149 IPC and 27 Arms Act PS City Kotkapura (District Faridkot)}.

The summons has been issued under Section 160 of CrPC, requiring attendance at investigation, relating to the Bargari sacrilege case and the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents.

"The presence of the aforesaid person is necessary for the purpose of an inquiry into the above-mentioned offence" and the persons summoned needed "to give such information relating to the said alleged offence as he may possess."

The SIT had earlier examined Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jitendra Jain, then Inspector General (IG) Bathinda; Inspector General of Police (IGP) Paramraj Singh Umaranangal; then Commissioner Ludhiana; IGP Amar Singh Chahal, then Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Ferozepur Range; MS Jaggi, then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Faridkot; SS Mann, then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faridkot; VK Syal then Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Faridkot, besides Mantar Singh Brar, then Kotkapura Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA).

In addition, 50 private persons and more than 30 police officials of junior rank have also been examined.

The five-member SIT was set up by the incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh government in September this year, soon after issuance of the notification to withdraw investigation of sacrilege incidents of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).