Court turns down bail plea of 3 cops booked for 2015 police firing in Faridkot

A court here Saturday rejected the anticipatory bail applications filed by three officers booked in connection with the 2015 police firing at people protesting over the desecration of religious scriptures. District and Sessions Judge Harpal Singh rejected the bail applications of the then Fazilka Superintendent of Police Bikramjit Singh, Inspector Pardip Singh and the then SHO Amarjit Singh.

"The anticipatory bail pleas have been rejected by the court," said Faridkot District Attorney Rajeev Goyal said. The court had heard the arguments of both the sides on Friday and reserved the order for Saturday.

The three officers had filed anticipatory bail applications after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested the then Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma on January 27. Sharma was arrested in connection with the police firing at Behbal Kalan in Faridkot district that killed two people.

He was leading a police team that allegedly opened fire at the protesters. Sharma was arrested after the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed a petition challenging the findings of Ranjit Singh Commission set up by the state's new Congress government in the desecration and the police firing.

The dismissed petition had also sought an inquiry by the CBI. Last year, the Punjab government had added the names of four police officials --  former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma, the SP, the inspector and the then SHO -- in the FIR registered in 2015 at the Baja Khana police station for murder and attempt to murder.

Their names were added on the recommendation of the Ranjit Singh commission over the police firing. After the high court dismissed the petitions, the SIT had summoned Charanjit Singh Sharma, Bikramjit Singh and Amarjit Singh to appear before it in connection with the police firing.

But Bikramjit and Amarjit along with Pardip moved the Faridkot court with anticipatory bail applications. Later, the SIT added sections 201 (causing disappearance evidence or giving false information)and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) of the IPC in the FIR.

A five-member SIT team headed by Bureau of Investigations (BOI) Director Prabodh Kumar was formed by the Punjab government last year to probe sacrilege and related police firing incidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)