Hours after former Moga SSP Charanjit Sharma’s arrest, families of Behbal Kalan firing victims — Krishan Bhagwan Singh and Gurjeet Singh — called it the first step towards punishing the culprits in the case. Both victms were killed in Behbal Kalan firing in October 2015. Sharma was leading a police party that allegedly opened fire at the anti-sacrilege protesters.

The arrest came hours ahead of a meeting of panthic organisations to discuss the second phase of Bargari Morcha at a Chandigarh gurdwara.

Sadhu Singh, father of Gurjeet Singh, said, “We appeared before Justice Zora Singh Commission, Ranjit Singh Commission, and the SIT for recording our statements repeatedly. It is the first big achievement in the firing incident. It seems that justice will prevail.”

Sukhraj Singh, son of Krishan Bhagwan Singh, said, “My father along with other villagers were sitting and doing prayers on the road after the incident of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. Villagers were unarmed when police in order to get the dharna lifted opened fire on them which injured many apart from killing two. It is a first arrest after three and a half years, I am hopeful that culprits will be punished soon. I am really happy over this arrest.”

The SIT members arrested the former SSP from his Hoshiarpur-based house Sunday morning. A team also conducted raids at the house of former Bajakhana SHO Amarjit Singh Kular in Faridkot, but he was not found at his house. Kular and Sharma have retired from their posts now. Bajakhana covers Behbal Kalan village and hence Kular was part of thepolice party at Behbal Kalan. But Charanjeet Sharma was SSP Moga, and so the SIT is probing that in what capacity he was heading the police party at Behbal Kalan. However, lot of police officers from outside district had been called to control the situation at the time of the incident.

Another police official, Bikramjeet Singh, who was Abohar SP was part of the police party at Behbal Kalan. He is still in service.

The SIT had issued summons to Charanjit Sharma and five other police officers asking them to appear before SIT on January 29. This was done after High Court dismissed the petitions of these officers, thus vacating stay ganted on the proceedings against these police officers. Already, the weapon used in this incident has been sent to the forensic lab.

During the SAD-BJP regime, Rs 10 lakh each was given to both victims’ families apart from a government job to the next of kin. Soon after Justice Ranjit Singh Commission’s report, Congress government gave additional Rs 90 lakh each to both families as Justice Ranjit had recommended compensation worth Rs 1 crore each to both families.