In jolt to Amarinder Singh, former Punjab police officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap likely to join AAP

Chandigarh, June 20: Former IPS officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who was part of the SIT probing the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident in Punjab, is likely to join the Aam Aadmi Party on Monday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will travel to Amritsar where he is likely to induct the former Punjab inspector general of police in the AAP.

"Punjab wants change. The only hope is the Aam Aadmi Party. See you tomorrow at Amritsar," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Punjabi on Sunday without making any reference to the possible induction.

Punjab AAP leaders also remained tightlipped about the likely induction of Singh to the party at Amritsar.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh took premature retirement in April after the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed a report by the earlier Punjab Police SIT into the firing at people protesting in Kotkapura in 2015 over the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district.

Singh was part of the SIT which was probing the 2015 Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan policing firing incidents.

The court had then directed the state government to set up a new SIT without Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had initially refused to accept the resignation of Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, who otherwise was to retire in 2029.

But when the former IG-rank officer remained firm on his stand, the CM accepted his premature retirement request.

The former police officer had assured the government of full help and support even outside his service in connection with the probe led by him in two cases of police firing.

While quashing the report of the earlier SIT, the high court in its detailed judgement had ruled that the investigation into the 2015 Kotkapura police firing incident, conducted by Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, was not free from "blemish" and his "personal malice and malafide functioning was demonstrated on record".

The court had also said the investigation conducted by Singh suffered from "malice, irrationality and absurdity".

The court had also ruled that Singh was a person who indulged in the misuse of his official position to further his designs.

The single bench had also found that the IPS officer had investigated the matter in a "perfunctory manner".

"The report under Section 173 CrPC filed by him is more in the nature of a hypothesis proposed by the respondent No 3 (Kunwar Vijay) based on his assumptions and fantasies than being based on material or evidence," it had said.

It was the SAD-BJP government in 2015 when the incidents of sacrilege of the religious text and subsequent police firing took place.