Behbal Kalan victim’s son urges Mann, Kejriwal to transfer Kotkapura case to Chandigarh for swift trial

Bathinda: Reminding the Punjab govt of the non-fulfilment of promises of justice in the sacrilege and killing of two protesters at Behbal Kalan, Behbal Kalan police firing victim Krishan Bhagwan Singh's son, Sukhraj Singh, has written to chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal.
He urged both Mann and Kejriwal to get the Kotkapura case, connected with Behbal Kalan, transferred to Chandigarh at the earliest and for the investigations to be concluded within a week. This would allow the trials in both cases to begin, ensuring justice for the people of Punjab and the Sikh community, wrote Sukhraj.
He also complained that the officials supervising the cases had been causing repeated delays in concluding the investigations and initiating the trials of these cases.
Torn pages from the Bir of Guru Granth Sahib were found scattered at Bargari on Oct 12, 2015, and thereafter, two protesters, Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh, were killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan on Oct 14, 2015. Since then, the aggrieved have been seeking justice.
He accused the then SAD-BJP govt led by Parkash Singh Badal of not only failing to make efforts to save the police officers involved in these incidents but also attempting to silence the victims.
Ahead of the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, Capt Amarinder Singh promised the people of Punjab that he would prosecute and punish the guilty persons by completing the investigation within one month of winning the elections. Capt Amarinder Singh did not fulfil the promise and was voted out of power, Sukhraj mentioned.
He further wrote that the AAP promised to ensure the completion of the investigation within 24 hours and ensured that the trial of these cases commenced immediately, providing justice to the people of Punjab. It has been more than three years since your govt came into power, and we have been awaiting justice. The investigation has not been completed, and even the trials are being attempted to be delayed, Sukhraj added.
He wrote on May 31, 2024, the Punjab and Haryana high court allowed the petition seeking the transfer of the trial in the Behbal Kalan case from the district courts, Faridkot, to the district courts, Chandigarh.
In one of the previous judgements, the high court specifically directed that trials in the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura cases should proceed together in the same trial court. A reference has been sent to the high court by the Additional Sessions Judge, Faridkot, seeking further directions regarding the transfer of the pending Kotkapura case, he wrote.
The Punjab govt has been repeatedly seeking time for filing a reply and delaying this case. After the Punjab govt delayed the matter for more than 7-8 months, it filed an SLP before the Supreme Court, with much delay, challenging the high court judgement about the transfer of the case. This SLP was also dismissed by the Supreme Court on April 9, 2025.
Sukhraj further wrote: "Some political leaders thought they were beyond God and God would never make them face defeat even on making false promises in the name of God. Therefore, with malice towards none and a humble prayer for fulfilling your poll promise of delivering justice to the entire Sikh community as well as the people of Punjab, I request you to direct your govt to get the connected case also transferred to Chandigarh at the earliest and the investigations to be concluded within a week or so, so that the trials in these cases can begin and justice can be given to the people of Punjab and the Sikh community."
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