Sacrilege cases not probed properly by SAD-BJP govt: Zora Singh

Justice (retd) Zora Singh, who inquired into the 2015 sacrilege incidents, Wednesday claimed that the SAD-BJP regime failed to ensure a "proper investigation" into the desecration of the holy Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot.

The retired judge, who last month joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), alleged that the state police had carried out a "shoddy" probe at the behest of some "higher ups" or under "political" pressure.

After a series of sacrilege incidents in 2015, the then Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) government in Punjab had set up a one man commission headed by the Zora Singh to inquire into the incidents and the police firing that left two people dead.

However, when Congress came to power in the state in 2017, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh rejected the Zora Singh Commission report as "inconclusive" and set up a fresh commission headed by Justice (retd) Ranjit Singh.

"When sacrilege incidents took place in 2015, the state government was headed by Parkash Singh Badal and home portfolio was with Sukhbir Singh Badal," Zora Singh said here while addressing the media.

"Proper investigation (into sacrilege incidents) was not done. Had there been a proper investigation, the matter would have been clear," said Singh flanked by AAP MLAs and leaders.

A 'bir' (copy) of holy Guru Granth Sahib was stolen from a Gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala in Faridkot district on June 1, 2015 and an FIR was lodged on the following day, said Singh.

The police suspected the role of the Gurdwara's Granthi (priest) as the theft took place when he was not present. However, the police did not carry out his custodial interrogation, he said.

Some women had also seen two suspects in the Gurdwara but there is ambiguity over whether the suspects' sketched were made or not. And if they were prepared, why weren't they released to the media, he further claimed.

Slamming the state police's lackadaisical approach, Zora Singh said: "Was there any person, some higher ups or political person who did not want a proper investigation?"