Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday failed to appear before the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing and related sacrilege cases, citing medical reasons and pre-scheduled health check-ups. The former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, who was scheduled to appear for questioning at the Punjab Police Officers’ Institute in Sector 32, Chandigarh, has formally requested investigators to defer his appearance until after September 30.
Instead of Badal appearing in person, a delegation of senior Akali Dal leaders—comprising party Chief Spokesperson and Legal Cell Chairman Arshdeep Singh Kler and senior leader Bunty Romana—appeared before the probe team to submit the formal representation. Speaking to journalists outside the venue, Kler explained that Badal had sustained an injury earlier and had a mandatory medical examination scheduled for Friday, making his physical presence unfeasible. The leaders reiterated their earlier demand for the probe panel to provide a written questionnaire, assuring that the party president is willing to review, answer, and sign every question provided in writing.
The Akali Dal representatives launched a sharp political critique against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing the administration of using the decades-old probe as a convenient political weapon to divert attention from mounting administrative failures. Kler asserted that despite multiple appearances and rounds of questioning over the years, Badal’s position and factual accounts regarding the unfortunate 2015 incidents have remained consistent. The leaders questioned why the investigation continues to linger without a definitive conclusion or a final charge sheet if the state authorities possess actionable material.
The inquiry pertains to the October 2015 police firing incident in Faridkot’s Behbal Kalan village, where two Sikh demonstrators, Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjit Singh, were killed and several others sustained injuries during demonstrations against the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari. Badal, who was the state’s home minister when the incident occurred, had previously appeared before the DIG Harjit Singh-led SIT on July 20. As the Special Investigation Team examines the extension request, political tension surrounding the protracted inquiry continues to escalate across Punjab.
