Punjab Government failed to name accused police officer in FIR in Moga firing

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Government is caught on the wrong foot again when the names of accused police officers were found missing from the FIR lodged by Punjab Police on October 21 into the firing on peaceful Sikh protesters at Behbal Kalan village in Moga on October 14. Two persons were killed in the police firing. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who also holds the home portfolio had announced the registration of murder cases against police officials who opned fire on peaceful protesters. He had also transferred the DGP Sumedh Singh Saini fearing backlash by Sikhs. The police had fired when Sikhs were sitting on dharna against sacrilege of Guru Grnath Sahib.The Punjab Police was keeping the FIR under wraps and agreed to give the copy only yesterday when certain Sikh organisations threatened to gherao the police station. A case under sections 302 and 307 of IPC for murder and attemt to murder and the arms ac on the recommendation of SIT formed by Punjab Government. Iqbal Singh Sahota Director Investigation who headed the SIT. Sahota told media that another detailed investigation would be required to identify the accused. Punjab Government had earlier given an impression that a case has been registered against Charnjit Sharma SSP Moga, blue eyed boy of Deputy Chief Minister. However his name was not mentioned as an accused. Only reference to him is that he was heading the team of police.Gurjeet Singh and Bhagwan Krishan Singh were killed in the unprovoked firing by police. The incident had sparked unrest among the Sikhs and issue acquired the political proposition. While none from the Badal family visited the families of victims, the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders Capt Amarinder Singh and Partap Singh Bajwa had visited them to express their condolences.The families of firing victims have described the FIR an eyewash and a bid to protect the guilty police officers. The police would never identify the erring police officers. Neither any compensation is paid to the victims.