Pb govt seeks vacation of stay on proceedings against cops

The Amarinder Singh government Thursday urged the Punjab and Haryana High Court to revoke its stay on proceedings against a former and two serving police officers for their alleged roles in police firings at sacrilege incident protestors at Behbal Kalan in 2015, killing two persons.

The Punjab government made the plea in its reply filed on a petition by the officials -- former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh, SSP Raghbir Singh and SHO Amarjit Singh -- challenging the findings of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission on the recurrent sacrilege incidents occurring in the state in 2015.

While Moga SSP and the SHO had been named in an FIR lodged at Baja Khana police station in Faridkot on recommendation of the commission's report in connection with the police firings at Behbal Kalan, SSP Raghbir Singh too apprehended action against him.

On the plea by the three officials, a bench of Justice R K Jain had stayed the proceedings against them on September 13 and had issued notices to the government, returnable by Thursday.

Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda Thursday filed the government's reply to this petition and urged the bench to vacate the stay on the proceedings of these police officials.

"We have argued for the vacation of stay on the proceedings," said Nanda.

On the government reply, the bench issued notice to the petitioner and fixed October 11 for next hearing of their petition.

The Punjab government had added the names of four police officials -former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh, SP Bikramjit Singh, Inspector Pardip Singh and SHO Amarjit Singh - in an FIR registered earlier at Baja Khana police station in Faridkot under IPC sections for murder and attempt to murder.

Their names were added on recommendations of the commission report on police firing at Behbal Kalan.

The police officials had also challenged the findings of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission contending that no notification was issued to wind up an earlier panel - Zora Singh Commission, set up to probe the state-wide sacrilege incidents.

The government, in its reply to this contention argued that there was no embargo on appointing a subsequent commission of inquiry after setting up one.

Meanwhile, the family of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, who was killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan, also filed a petition, opposing the stay on the proceedings against the cops.

The counsel for petitioners SPS Sidhu said the stay on the proceedings against the police officials would continue till next date.

The one man Commission, the report of which was tabled at the floor of the House in the Vidhan Sabha session last month, had held the police responsible for using excessive force at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan, while describing it as "unprovoked, unwarranted and uncalled.