As the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal skipped the summons of Punjab Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) to appear for questioning in Kotkapura firing case citing his appearance in Ferozepur district’s Zira court in connection with a case registered for blocking a highway, the party on Tuesday claimed that no summons was served to him by the SIT probing 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident. At the same time, the party maintained that its president was ready to cooperate in the investigation.

The SIT, headed by Director General of Police LK Yadav and probing the post-sacrilege police firing incident at Kotkapura in 2015, had summoned Sukhbir to appear before it at Punjab Police Officers’ Institute, Sector 32, Chandigarh, in connection with two FIRs registered at Kotkapura city police station on October 14, 2015, and August 7, 2018. SAD leader and spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler said the Sukhbir Badal had not been served summons “personally”.

“Due to the hearing at Zira court, where his presence was required, Sukhbir did not appear before the SIT on Tuesday...The SIT had been informed about this and another date had been sought,” said Kler.

Sukhbir, who was the Deputy Chief Minister and also held Home Department when the incident took place in 2015, was asked by the SIT to appear with relevant records. Now, he has written to the SIT to clarify whether the summons, being circulated in the media, has been issued by it. “If it (summons) has been issued by the SIT, then it should give us a next date and we are ready to cooperate in the probe,” said Kler.

The SIT, probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident, had earlier questioned former Director General of Police Sumedh Singh Saini. The former top cop has been named as an accused in 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan police firing incidents in Faridkot.

The incidents related to the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Ganth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari had taken place in Faridkot in 2015 — triggering protests in Faridkot. Two persons were killed in Behbal Kalan while some people were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot after the police fired at the protesters in October 2015. 

Already, two SITs have questioned Sukhbir twice in this case. The SIT led by additional Director General of Police (ADGP) LK Yadav, which was formed in May last year, had questioned Sukhbir in June 2021. It would be for the first time during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regime that Sukhbir was summoned by SIT for questioning in connection with the Kotkapura firing incident.

The SIT led by former IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who is now an AAP MLA, had also questioned Sukhbir in November 2018.

On July 12, the trial court in Faridkot directed both SITs probing the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing cases to submit their status reports within a fortnight. Another SIT led by IG Naunihal Singh is probing the Behbal Kalan police firing incident.

Meanwhile, The Special Investigation Team claimed that the police officers concerned had gone to hand over the summons to SAD president Sukhbir Badal, but “no one received it”.