Bargari Sacrilege Case: Akshay Kumar, Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Badal summoned by SIT

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has summoned Bollywood star Akshay Kumar along with former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal in connection with the Bargari sacrilege case.

While Akshay Kumar has been asked to be present before the SIT in Amritsar on November 21. Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal have been summoned on November 16 and 19, respectively, in Amritsar.

The orders were issued separately for the three on behalf of SIT, by IPG (OCCU) Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh.

Singh said the summons relate to "investigation of cases originating from the various incidents of sacrilege in the year 2015 {FIR No. 129, dated 07.08.2018 under Section 307, 323, 341, 148, 149 IPC and 27 Arms Act PS City Kotkapura (District Faridkot)}. The summons has been issued under section 160 of CrPC, requiring attendance at investigation, relating to the Bargari sacrilege case and the Behbal Kalan & Kotkapura police firing incidents".

"The presence of the aforesaid person is necessary for the purpose of inquiry into the above-mentioned offence," it said, and the person summoned is required to "give such information relating to the said alleged offence as he may possess".

The sacrilege incident had triggered a statewide outrage after a ‘bir’ (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) was stolen from a gurdwara at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala on June 1, 2015.

On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the ‘bir’ were found scattered in front of a gurdwara at Bargari village.

In June 2016, there were massive protests after an unidentified man gunned down Gurdev Singh, a dera follower, at his grocery shop at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village of Faridkot.

Details are awaited...