Dubbing the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into sacrilege and related firing incidents as “politically motivated”, SAD president and Punjab’s former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal on Monday categorically denied meeting Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar outside Punjab.
Days after SIT quizzed the former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal regarding the 2015 police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura following sacrilege incidents in Faridkot, his son and the then Deputy Chief Minister was questioned by all the five SIT members at Punjab Police headquarters at Chandigarh.
In about hour-long session, Sukhbir submitted that he had never met the Bollywood actor outside Punjab in my life. “I met him at a sports function,” he added.
Akshay’s name was mentioned in Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the sacrilege incidents, but the panel could not take cognizance of the allegations as it was not backed by an affidavit by the informant.
The Commission has taken on record a letter and subsequent testimony by one Harbans Singh Jalal, who among other things, talked about a meeting between the Bollywood actor, a senior Punjab politician and Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
He had informed that the meeting was held at Akshay’s residence in Mumbai for the release of Ram Rahim’s “Messenger of God” in Punjab before the grant of pardon to the Dera chief as the movie was expected to do business of Rs 300 crore, if released in the state.
“They asked me whether you met Akshay in Mumbai. I asked them what is the proof. I told them you are asking me a question and not telling me who said this. They said they cannot share,” Sukhbir said while addressing the media at his residence in the legislator flats following his questioning at the police headquarters.
Besides Badal father-son duo, the SIT has also issued summons to Akshay Kumar to appear before it on November 21.
Dubbing the entire exercise as politically motivated, Sukhbir said: “In all they asked me four-five questions, oh vi idhar udhar ton (that too from here and there)...they don’t have any questionnaire prepared...that shows their seriousness.”
“I told the SIT that it had a political motive behind it...I asked for the copy of the FIR in which I was summoned, SIT did not have it. The FIR was registered in August, the complainant was summoned to the police station Kotkapura on phone, and this is mentioned in the FIR. This shows that the case is politically motivated,” he said.
He said that the SIT asked him about what directions he gave on October 14, 2015, “when I was out of the State after duly informing the Chief Minister.
“I was not in Punjab. I had sought the Chief Minister’s permission to go out of the state, and was away from October 8 to 14, 2015, when the police action was initiated,” he said.
“I made it clear to the SIT officials that they had been given a mandate to malign the SAD and that was why I had been called for questioning today,” he said.
CAPT IS INCOMPETENT TO RULE PUNJAB
Sukhbir informed that during his questioning, he asked the cops about how many times did the present Chief Minister hold the meetings to review law and order situation, and “I did not get any response”.
“This shows that Capt Amarinder is incompetent to rule the state,” he said.
AKSHAY TO APPEAR BEFORE SIT ON NOV 21 AT POLICE HQs
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar would appear before the SIT, in response to the summons issued by IG Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh for November 21, at the Punjab Police headquarters at Chandigarh.
As per the initial summons, Akshay has been called for questioning at Amritsar Circuit House, but was later shifted it to Chandigarh.
Sources informed The Pioneer that Akshay had sent a written request to the SIT to change the venue for questioning from Amritsar to Chandigarh on November 17, to which Kunwar Vijay has replied in affirmative on the next day.
As per the available information, Akshay will appear before the SIT at 10 am on Wednesday.