‘Sacrilege, firing cases not properly probed by SAD govt.’

Says Justice Zora Singh who recently joined the AAP

Former Justice Zora Singh, who recently joined the Aam Aadmi Party, alleged on Wednesday that the then Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government in Punjab did not investigate the incident of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot in 2015 in a “proper manner”.

The previous SAD-BJP government had in 2015 under Mr. Singh set up a one-man commission to investigate the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts. In 2017, when the Congress government came to power, it rejected the findings of the Zora Singh Commission, saying its findings had been “inconclusive”.

“On the basis of the evidences collected through intensive investigation of persons who appeared before the Commission, six suspects were identified. The names of the suspects were already in the police domain but they did not seem to be in a hurry to investigate the case,” alleged Mr. Singh.

“Also the investigating officers, including a Senior Superintendent of Police and a Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer, deposed before the Commission that the investigation into the Bargari and Behbal Kalan police firing cases was not done as per the merit of the incidents,” said Mr. Singh.

‘CM failed to act’

Mr. Singh said it was unfortunate that Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who had publicly taken a solemn vow invoking ‘Sri Gutka Sahib’ to punish those responsible for the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the Bargari firing, has failed to act swiftly against them since coming to power.