Punjab Sets Up Fresh SIT Probe amid Political Stir

The Punjab government on Friday announced the setting up of a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident. The decision comes weeks after Punjab and Haryana high court quashed an earlier inquiry ordered by the Capt Amarinder Singh government. The high court order, which gave a clean chit to Akali dal leaders, triggered a political slugfest in the state.

The fresh SIT comprising of ADGP/Vigilance Bureau L.K. Yadav, Commissioner of Police Ludhiana Rakesh Agarwal and DIG Faridkot Range Surjit Singh. As per court orders, the committee will be required to submit the report within six months, and official spokesman said.

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

It further read that the SIT would not report to any state executive or police authority regarding the investigations and would report only to the concerned magistrate according to the law. Furthermore, the members of SIT have been also directed not leak any part of the investigation and refrain from interacting with media regarding the various aspects of the investigations.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here