Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Baltej Singh Pannu on Thursday said former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh told a Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) that SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had accepted responsibility for the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing incident before the Akal Takht.
Pannu said the SIT had approached Giani Raghbir Singh to verify whether Badal had admitted his role in the incident during his appearance before the Akal Takht in 2024.
Reacting to the claim, Badal criticised Giani Raghbir Singh and accused him of violating the decorum of the Akal Takht. He also alleged that the former jathedar was now acting in favour of the AAP.
Badal said he was not afraid of any action by the AAP-led Punjab government, including the registration of an FIR based on the former jathedar's statement.
In December 2024, Badal had appeared before the Akal Takht after the Sikh clergy pronounced religious punishment on him and other Akali leaders for mistakes committed by the SAD and its government between 2007 and 2017. At that time, Giani Raghbir Singh was serving as the Akal Takht jathedar.
Addressing reporters, Pannu claimed that Giani Raghbir Singh told the SIT that Badal had accepted responsibility for the Behbal Kalan firing during his appearance before the Akal Takht.
According to Pannu, the former jathedar stated that the admission was made publicly and was recorded on video. He further claimed that the video is available with the Akal Takht authorities. Pannu said the SIT has not yet filed a chargesheet in the Behbal Kalan firing case.
Questioning Badal's stand, Pannu said if he had accepted responsibility before the Akal Takht, he should not deny it before the people of Punjab. He added that seeking forgiveness before the Akal Takht and later rejecting the admission raises serious questions.
The AAP leader also said the Bhagwant Mann government has allowed SITs investigating sacrilege and firing cases to function independently without political interference. He alleged that previous governments failed to ensure justice in sacrilege-related cases and instead tried to protect those responsible.
The Behbal Kalan case is linked to the 2015 sacrilege incidents in Faridkot district, where pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were found torn and scattered after a copy of the holy book went missing from a gurdwara.
The incidents sparked widespread protests across Punjab. During police firing on protesters at Behbal Kalan in October 2015, two people — Gurjeet Singh and Krishan Bhagwan Singh — were killed, while several others were injured in related violence at Kotkapura.
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