Former Punjab cop arrested in 2015 police firing

CHANDIGARH: A special investigation team (SIT) of the Punjab Police on Sunday arrested a former Punjab Police officer in connection with the Behbal Kalan police firing in Faridkot. The firing which took place in 2015 had claimed the lives of two people.

IANS reported that the SIT arrested Charanjit Singh Sharma from his residence in Hoshiarpur. SIT sources told IANS that Sharma initially resisted the arrest but the SIT team took him to Amritsar.

"I can confirm the arrest. He was arrested early today from his residence in Hoshiarpur. We are questioning him. We cannot share more details at this stage," Inspector General (IG) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, in-charge of the SIT, was quoted as saying by IANS.

Singh added that Sharma will be produced in a court later on Sunday. According to Singh, the police officer was planning to escape from the country.

Sharma was arrested by the SIT after his plea seeking protection from prosecution in the case was rejected on Friday by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In 2015, Sharma was posted as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Moga district when the police opened fire on some Sikh activists who were protesting against repeated incidents of sacrilege of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Sharma and three other police officers - Bikramjit Singh (then SSP Fazilka), Inspector Pardip Singh and sub-inspector Amarjit Singh - were charged for murder and attempt to murder following recommendations by the Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) Commission of Inquiry.

Charanjit Sharma was suspended after the incident and was compulsorily retired after the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry.

(with agency inputs)