Faridkot: Kotkapura police files chargesheet against 3 Dera followers

Faridkot, Mar 23 (UNI) The Kotkapura police has filed charge sheet against four Dera followers including Mahinderpal Bittu, the prime accused in the Bargari sacrilege case, in the court of judicial magistrate Faridkot.

The special investigation team was investigating the Bargari sacrilege and Behbal Kalan firing.

The charge sheet was filed on Friday after nine months of the recovery of desecrated Guru Granth Sahib and 28 used cartridges from the house of Mahinderpal Bittu.

Besides Bittu, the police have also chargesheeted his three associates and Dera followers including Shakti Singh of Daggu rumana village, Sukhjinder Singh alias Sanny of Kokkapura and Mahinder Kumar of Sangroor.

They have been chargesheeted for hurting religious sentiments and possessing illegal weapons.Presently all are in judicial custody.

The justice Ranjeet Singh Commission (Rtd) Report had also identified Bittu as prime accused in the sacrilege incident at Burj Jwahar Singh Wala and Bargari in 2015.The commission report revealed that Bittu had initially made a plan to kill Sikh hardliner and preacher as the later used to speak against Dera Sacha Soda head and also opposed their congregations.

Bittu was working under the directions of Rakesh Dirba who was a personal assistant of the Dera chief. However, the plan was called off as district committee members of the Dera had opposed it.

According to report, Bittu had planned to steal Saroop of Guru Garanth Sahib at Buraj Jwahar Singh Wala . After the theft, they scattered the pages of the holy Guru Granth Sahib in the village , thus leading to massive protest at Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura, which was followed by police firing and killing two protesters at Behbal Kalan on October 15, 2015.

The special investigation team nabbed Bittu from Palampur in Himachal Pradesh last year.

He was absconding since August 17.