Chandigarh, January 27: Former Punjab SSP Charanjit Sharma was arrested from his house in Hoshiarpur on Sunday morning in connection with the Behbal Kalan police firing case that followed multiple incidents of sacrilege.
A Special Investigation Team inquiring into the incidents arrested him during the “raid” that took place at 2.30 am.
A government spokesperson said Sharma’s custodial questioning was required as the SIT had collected substantial evidence related to his actions that are believed to have lead to the police firing in which two persons were killed.
He was earlier suspended and compulsorily retired from service. Sharma, along with three other police officials, had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking protection from prosecution. The court turned down their request on January 24, asking them to join the investigation.
After recording statements of over 200 persons in the past four months in the police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, the SIT was waiting for the High Court to vacate the stay in proceedings against five police officers, including former Fazilka SP Bikramjit Singh and former Moga SSP Charanjit Singh Sharma.
