Punjab IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal Arrested in Bargari Firing Case

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday arrested Inspector General Paramraj Singh Umranangal, who was commanding the police force when they allegedly opened fire on people protesting against desecration of religious texts in Punjab in 2015, citing “sufficient evidence” against him.

The SIT had summoned him and other senior police officers for questioning on February 13. Other officers who were summoned include IG Jatinder Jain, IG Amar Singh Chahal, SP Paramjit Singh Pannu and SDM Harjit Sandhu. All these officers were on duty on October 14, 2015 when police firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot had taken place. Two persons protesting against the sacrilege incidents were killed in the police firing at Behbal Kalan.

Umranangal was earlier also questioned by the SIT in November last year.  IGP Umranangal had allegedly directed the police officials at Kotkapura to use fire weapons to disperse the protesters who were sitting on protest at main chowk of Kotkapura town on October 14, 2015.

While the SIT had arrested former SSP Moga Charanjit Sharma last month from his residence in Hoshiarpur, three other prime accused including SP Bikramjit Singh, inspector Pardeep Singh and Amarjit Singh Kular have been granted anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

SIT members had claimed that the questioning of these officials could hold the key to the mystery behind as to who ordered the police firing that resulted in the death of two persons.