Probe fake gun fights, extra-judicial killings in Punjab: Amarinder

Newly-appointed Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh on Thursday sought a probe into the fake gun battles and extra-judicial killings alleged to have taken place during militancy in Punjab.

Taking cognizance of the revelations made by a former Punjab Police constable, Gurmeet Singh alias Pinky, wherein he had alleged that a number of people were killed without trial during militancy in Punjab, Amarinder demanded the dismissal of Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini and registration of a case against him (Saini).

Demanding a high-level inquiry into the revelations made by Pinky, Amarinder asked as to where did the amount of Rs.50 lakh, alleged to have been paid by Pinky for his reinstatement in the police, go.

"Let it be probed where the money went?" Amarinder said.

Pinky had alleged that he had paid the money for his reinstatement to a middleman and it was meant to be given to Saini.

Saini was recently removed as the state police chief following recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and subsequent violence in Punjab, in which the police force was accused of excesses which left two people dead.

Addressing media after formally assuming office as the Punjab Congress president here on Thursday, Amarinder dissolved the state Congress committee and said that fresh recommendations would be made to the party high command very soon.

Amarinder also advised party leaders not to comment on policy matters in public when they were not authorised to speak.

The former chief minister said that the Congress was "open to alliance with the like minded parties, particularly the CPI and CPI-M, the People's Party of Punjab (PPP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party".

He disclosed that he had spoken to the CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and PPP chief Manpreet Badal. He hoped that the BSP will also be positively inclined towards the idea.

Amarinder claimed that there was complete unity in the Congress party.