Punjab sacrilege cases: IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh back as head of SIT

The police officer was transferred by the Election Commission of India on the basis of a complaint filed by SAD.

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Punjab sacrilege cases: IGP Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh back as head of SIT
Members of the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee) take out a march during their protest against the alleged desecration of religious book and the firing incident, in Amritsar in October 2015. (File photo: PTI)

In Short

  • He was transferred by the Election Commission on the basis of a complaint filed by SAD
  • He is a close confidant of CM Captain Amarinder Singh who also heads the home department
  • The SIT is probing police firing on villagers protesting desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Oct 2015

The Punjab state government on Monday transferred Inspector General Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and posted him back as IGP Organised Crime Control Unit. He will also head the special investigation team (SIT) which is probing the sacrilege cases.

"Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh is transferred and posted as IGP, OCCU with additional charge of IGP, Counter Intelligence, Amritsar," NS Kalsi, Punjab's home secretary said.

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Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was transferred by the Election Commission of India on the basis of a complaint filed by the Shiromani Akali Dal when the Model Code of Conduct was enforced.

Kunwar also happens to be the close confidant of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh who also heads the home department.

"Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh will head the SIT probe into the sacrilege cases and the unprovoked incidents of sacrilege and police firing that had taken place in Punjab under the SAD-BJP [Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party] regime," Kalsi said.

A release issued by the Chief Minister's Office on Monday accused Akali Dal leader Bikram Majithia of issuing abusive threats to Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh. It said that the Punjab government has filed an intimidation and defamation case against Majithia.

"Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh was an active part of the SIT investigations into the Bargari and other sacrilege incidents. Shiromani Akali Dal top leaders, including the Badals [father-son duo Parkash Singh and Sukhbir Singh], have figured in the investigations so far. The Ranjit Singh Commission, set up by the Captain Amarinder government to probe the cases, had suggested further investigation into the role of the Badals, which the SIT was further probing," the communiqué said.

Cases of sacrilege incidents haunted Akali Dal during the Lok Sabha polls and Congress tried to rake up these issues during the elections which also caused severe damage to the Akali Dal vote bank. The party which had won four Lok Sabha seats last time was only able to win two, and that too when Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal was compelled to contest himself.

A section of Akali Dal leaders has questioned Akali Dal's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls. Former Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Manjit Singh GK has asked Badal to clarify why Akali Dal lost eight seats in Punjab when there was enough anti-incumbency against Captain Amarinder Singh government besides the clear Modi factor. Manjit Singh has been expelled from the party after he questioned the party's defeat.

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Despite losing eight seats out of 10 on which the party candidates contested, Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal says his party was a "gainer" in Punjab.

"Akali Dal was the target of all parties. Be it the Congress, Bargari protesters [objecting to the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib] or Sukhpal Khaira's party [Punjabi Ekta Party]. Only Bhagwant Mann was able to win, others lost their deposits. Their percentage of votes has gone down and Akali Dal is a gainer," Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

The tardy progress of the SIT set up to probe the sacrilege cases while at one hand has given rise to the speculations that efforts were being made to dilute or delay the proceedings against the previous government, it has also strained the relations between Captain Amarinder Singh and tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.

It was because of the slow progress of the investigation that Sidhu had said the Congress and Akali Dal were playing a friendly match.