BATHINDA: The special investigation team (SIT) of Punjab Police on Monday arrested Inspector General (IG) of Police Parampal Singh Umranangal in connection with the police firing at Kotkapura in Faridkot district in October 2015 during protests over desecrations in Punjab.Umranangal, in recent months, was also called for questioning regarding the circumstances and person who ordered firing on Sikhs agitating against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib during the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP regime.SIT member IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh told TOI, "Though Umranangal had been arrested in Kotkapura case, his role was also being probed in the Behbal Kalan firing case. He will be presented in the court at Faridkot on Tuesday."The SIT arrested him in the case of cane charge and firing at Kotkapura light point in the wee hours of October 14, 2015. A case was registered on August 8, 2018, under charges of attempt to murder for indulging in firing and cane-charge on protesters on the basis of a statement made by 22-year-old Ajit Singh of Chhana Gulab Singh village of Barnala against unknown policemen. Umranangal is the first police officer to be arrested in the Kotkapura firing case. Ajit, then a BA-I student at TPD College, Rampura, was present at Kotkapura light point on October 14, 2015, and got a gunshot injury and was hospitalised for two months. Umranangal was previously questioned by the SIT last November.Former Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma was arrested in the Behbal Kalan firing case last month. Sharma allegedly headed a team of cops that opened fire on a crowd protesting incidents of sacrilege at Behbal Kalan on October 14, 2015.The SIT had last year added the names of a few police officials, including former SSP Sharma, in an FIR registered in connection with the firing incident at Behbal Kalan. These names were added on the recommendation of the Ranjit Singh Commission report.

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