Chandigarh, August 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police probing the 2015 Behbal Kalan police firing case has again summoned senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Vijay Sampla for questioning.
A police official visited Sampla’s residence to serve the fresh summons, asking him to appear before the SIT on September 2.
Sampla, however, said he would be occupied due to the visit of his party’s central leadership to Punjab and would be able to appear before the investigating team only on September 3.
The former Union Minister had earlier been summoned to appear before the SIT on August 27 but did not appear, citing pre-scheduled party meetings and programmes.
Sampla expressed regret that despite his repeated requests, the SIT had not provided him with the documents on the basis of which he was being summoned repeatedly.
“I will appear before the SIT, but I don’t understand what I will say when I don’t know for what I am being summoned,” he said.
The BJP leader maintained that he respected the SIT summons and, as a law-abiding citizen, would cooperate with the investigation. He, however, said he would appear on September 3 instead of September 2.
This is the latest in a series of summons issued to Sampla in connection with the investigation. He had appeared before the SIT in June and was questioned about a memorandum concerning the sacrilege and firing incidents that was jointly submitted by the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal to the then Punjab Governor in November 2018.
After receiving the previous summons for August 27, Sampla had similarly sought another date and said he had repeatedly asked the SIT to provide the specific documents on the basis of which his questioning was being sought.
He had said that he would extend full cooperation to the investigation but needed to examine the relevant documents before responding to the SIT.
Sampla had also alleged political vendetta by the AAP government, maintaining that he had nothing to do with either the sacrilege or firing incidents. He pointed out that the incidents had occurred before he became the Punjab BJP president.
The Behbal Kalan firing took place on October 14, 2015, when police opened fire on protesters demonstrating against the sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari. Two protesters were killed in the firing.
The incident occurred during the SAD-BJP government, when Sukhbir Singh Badal was Deputy Chief Minister and also held the Home portfolio.
The SIT has intensified its investigation in recent months. On June 11, it recorded the statement of former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh in connection with the case.
On July 3, the investigating team visited Bargari and Behbal Kalan villages and recreated the crime scene as part of its investigation before proceeding with further legal action.
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