Summary:
Chandigarh, Dec 12 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal was on Monday questioned for nearly three hours by a special investigations team of Punjab Police probing into the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case.
The special investigations team (SIT), led by Additional Director General of Police LK Yadav, had summoned Badal to appear before the probe team on Monday.
Badal was the deputy chief minister and holding the home portfolio when incidents of desecration of religious texts and the subsequent police firing at people protesting against it had taken place in Faridkot in 2015.
The Akali Dal chief reached the Punjab Police Officers" Institute here around 11:40 am, official sources said.
Badal did not speak to reporters after his questioning.
The incidents relate to the theft of a "bir" (copy) of the Guru Granth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters, and torn pages of the holy book being found scattered at Bargari in Faridkot in 2015.
This series of events had triggered protests and two persons -- Gurjeet Singh and Kishan Bhagwan Singh -- were killed in Behbal Kalan and a few others injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot in police firing.
The SIT had also questioned Badal on September 14.
He was questioned on June 26, 2021, as well.
On October 12, the SIT had questioned former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in the matter.
On September 6, another SIT led by Inspector General of Police Naunihal Singh had grilled the Akali Dal chief in the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case.
While the Yadav-led SIT is investigating the Kotkapura firing case, the Naunihal-led team is probing into the Behbal Kalan incident.
The Akali Dal had earlier accused the AAP government in Punjab of politicising the case in order to divert people"s attention from its "failures".
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