Punjab govt constitutes new SIT to probe Kotkapura firing cases

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 7

Consequent to the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Punjab Government on Friday constituted a new three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), consisting of senior IPS officers, and directed it to complete the investigations into the Kotkapura firing incident, preferably in six months, as per the court’s orders.  

Disclosing this here, an official spokesperson said that the newly constituted SIT, comprising ADGP/Vigilance Bureau LK Yadav, Commissioner of Police Ludhiana Rakesh Agarwal and DIG Faridkot Range Surjit Singh, would investigate the two FIRs (dated Oct 14, 2015, and Aug 7, 2018) registered in connection with the Kotkapura firing incidents. 

As per the orders issued by the Home Department, the SIT would ensure meticulous compliance of the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court stipulating that there would be no interference from any quarter; internal or external, in the investigations.

The order explicitly states that the SIT shall work jointly, and all its members would put their signatures on all the proceedings of the investigation and the final report. 

The members of the SIT would also be cited as witnesses in the list of the investigating officers, the order states.

The order further states that the SIT would not report to any State executive or police authority regarding the investigations and would report only to the concerned Magistrate, following the law. 

The members of SIT have been also directed not to leak any part of the investigation and refrain from interacting with media regarding the various aspects of the investigations. 

Further, the SIT members would not respond, directly or indirectly, to any doubt or opinion expressed by anyone regarding the ongoing investigations.

The SIT has been authorised to seek the assistance of another person (s) and experts for the investigation, added the spokesperson.