Sukhraj Singh, whose father Krishan Bhagwan Singh was killed in the Behbal Kalan police firing, said he would explore legal options to use the confession of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Sri Akal Takht Sahib in court. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sukhraj said, “We will request the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab police probing the Behbal Kalan police firing to look into the confession made by Sukhbir Singh Badal. I will also consult my lawyer on how this confession can strengthen our case. We have maintained from the beginning that the firing was carried out on Sukhbir’s behalf to protect his plan to secure a pardon for Dera Sirsa head Gurmeet Ram Rahim from court.” On December 2, the Akal Takht Jathedars posed three questions to Sukhbir when he appeared for atonement for the mistakes committed during the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)-Bharatiya Janata Party government’s tenure from 2007 to 2017. Sukhbir was asked, “Did you commit the sin of getting the case against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim cancelled and securing a pardon for him, despite him being an enemy of Sikhs and Sikhism? Did sacrilege of Shri Guru Granth Sahib take place under your government, and did you shelter the accused? Following that, two Sikh protesters were killed in the Behbal Kalan firing. Do you confess to these sins?” Sukhbir replied “yes” to all these questions. Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh were killed in police firing on October 14, 2015, during protests against the sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari. Meanwhile, Narain Singh Chaura, who allegedly fired at Sukhbir Singh Badal on December 4 outside Darbar Sahib, was produced in a local court on Sunday. Police secured three more days’ remand for him. Taking Sukhraj’s stance further, Chaura’s lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said, “I will explore all options to even summon the Jathedars as witnesses to Sukhbir Singh Badal’s confession in the Behbal Kalan case.” Manjhpur added that it is the court’s authority to determine whether the bullet was fired at Sukhbir Singh Badal or into the air. Police informed the court that they needed additional time to recover weapons allegedly hidden by Chaura in Lakhimpur Kheri. Manjhpur dismissed this, saying, “These are routine tactics by the police to secure remand. After the first three days’ remand, the police have only shown the recovery of one weapon, which they claim was found at the crime scene.”
