As the newly constituted
Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the 2015 Kotkapura firing incident summoned
former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal to appear before the agency on June 16, it
hints at CM Capt Amarinder Singh is on his way to fulfill the promises made
before contesting the 2017 Assembly Elections.
The newly constituted SIT, comprising ADGP, Vigilance Bureau, L.K. Yadav, Ludhiana's Commissioner of Police, Rakesh Agarwal, and DIG, Faridkot Range, Surjit Singh has summoned then CM Parkash Singh Badal to investigate the two FIRs (dated October 14, 2015, and August 7, 2018) registered in connection with the firing incidents at Kotkapura city police station.
However, the former CM is unlikely to appear before the agency on June 16 citing medical reasons.
Senior SAD leader Badal however, has asked the SIT “to reschedule the date for his appearance for the investigations as he is not keeping good health and has been advised complete bed rest for 10 days by doctors.”
He has also reiterated his “intent and commitment to fully cooperating with the law” and he had “complete faith in the judiciary.”
“As soon as my health gets better, I will be available to join the investigation as per law, at my current place of residence (in Chandigarh),” Mr. Badal said.
Badal hoped that “this SIT, unlike the previous one, would respect the law of the land and conduct a fair investigation, withstanding political interference from the ruling dispensation” which, he said, had been “brazenly subverting the law for petty political gains.”
In his two-page response to the summon from the SIT investigating the handling of Kotkapura incidents by the previous government, Badal said “the entire process of investigations already stands brazenly compromised through blatant and unapologetic political interference and it reeks too strongly of political vendetta to inspire any confidence about a fair process of law being followed”. In spite of this, said Badal, he will “cooperate fully” with the investigative process.
Also Read: Kotkapura Firing Case: New SIT summons Former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal
The former Chief Minister pointed out that the very need for the present SIT had “arisen out of the brazen politicization of the case by the previous SIT”. In this regard, Badal criticized “one of the members of the previous SIT” for his “openly political conduct” which had allegedly subverted the entire investigative process.
“With a callous and contemptuous disregard for all the established procedures and norms, this officer completely usurped and appropriated to himself the entire functioning and designated role of all the other members of the SIT, including its chairman, and rendered them totally redundant and they were reportedly not even a part of the investigative process”.
The former CM referred to reports that said that the findings of the previous SIT had been scripted jointly by half a dozen high-profile members of the ruling party. These reports, he said, had never been contradicted.
What next?
In case Parkash Singh Badal’s health does not get well, there are chances that SIT might visit his residence to carry out the investigation rather than Badal visiting SIT’s office.
Notably, the SIT has come into action when elections are around the corner in February-March 2022 and the party is striving to fulfill the promises it has made while contesting 2017 elections.
Moreover, in the past few months, Capt Amarinder Singh former colleague Navjot Sidhu lashed out at his party for not conducting a fair and timely probe into the Guru Granth Sahib Sacrilege Case and Kotkapura Firing Case.
Also Read: Navjot Sidhu shares CCTV footage after Sukhbir Badal asks for proof against Akalis in sacrilege case
Now, it will be evident to witness whether CM Capt Amarinder Singh led Congress will take action again Shiromani Akali Dal leaders or not.