Expressing complete confidence in the report of People’s Commission, headed by Justice Markandey Katju, on the incident of police firing in Behbal Kalan, in which two Sikh youth Krishan Avtar Singh and Gurjeet Singh died and dozens of protesters got injured, Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) has demanded its implementation in letter and spirit.
Holding Punjab police’ senior officers responsible for the unprovoked and undesired firing on the peaceful protesters, Justice Katju has recommended strict action against police officers who ordered the firing without a magistrate being present on the scene.
People’s commission has also recommended a compensation of `1 crore each for the families of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, a resident of Niamiwala, and Gurjit Singh, a resident of Sarawan, killed in the firing.
Taking on the ruling alliance for trying to brush the matter under the carpet, AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira has said that it is astonishing that the Badal Government failed to identify the killers and the FIR in Behbal Kalan police firing. This is nothing but a mockery of law as it was the police officers in uniform who killed the innocent Sikh youth.
The Badal Government to hoodwink the agitated people of Punjab, had set up the Justice Zora Singh Commission, to look into the firing incident. It has been a usual practice for the senior Badal to appoint such politically motivated commissions of enquiry, to get a clean chit, said AAP.
Earlier, Badal had appointed Justice AN Jindal Commission into the book scandal that gave a clean chit to the corrupt minister despite blatant evidence against him. Similarly, the said Justice Zora Singh Commission has been formed only to protect guilty persons and sign on dotted lines of the Government, said AAP leaders.
Demanding action against the erring police officials as per the commissions’ report, AAP has also demanded that the call records the then SSP Faridkot should be made public. The party has raised apprehension that the order of firing had come from some senior and mighty political boss, whom the government was trying to shield.
Khaira has said that besides the compensation of one crore to the families of deceased, a government job should also be given to a family member of the victim families.