New Delhi:
A day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing police firing incidents at Behbal Kalan on sacrilege issue, summoned former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, his son Sukhbir Singh Badal and Akshay Kumar, the Bollywood actor on Monday said has “never, ever” met jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
Issuing a statement on Twitter, Akshay Kumar said: “I learnt from social media at some point that Gurmeet Ram Rahim resided for a while at some place in my locality Juhu, in Mumbai, but we never ever crossed each others paths.”
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) November 12, 2018
“Over the years, I have dedicatedly made films promoting the Punjabi culture and the rich history and tradition of Sikhism through films like Singh is King, Kesari (based on the battle of Sarhagarhi), etc. I am proud of being a Punjabi and have the highest regard for the Sikh faith. I shall never do anything that would even remotely hurt the sentiments of my Punjabi brothers and sisters, for whom I have the utmost respect and love,” he said.
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The SIT of Punjab Police has asked Parkash to appear before it on November 16, Sukhbir on November 19 and Akshay on November 21 at the Circuit House in Amritsar.
The summon orders have been issued separately for the three by SIT member and IG rank officer Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, according to an official release issued.
Two people were killed in police firing at Behbal Kalan after a series of sacrilege incidents in Punjab in 2015. The SIT is probing police the firing incidents at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot.
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The actor's name was mentioned in Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on sacrilege incidents.
According to the report, a meeting between former deputy chief minister Sukhbir and Dera Sacha Sauda sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with the release of latter's movie 'MSG' was held at Akshay's flat in Mumbai.
The meeting was held before the pardon given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case. However, Akshay had denied all the claims.
The summons have been issued under Section 160 of the CrPC, requiring attendance at investigation, relating to the Bargari sacrilege case and the Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura police firing incidents, the release said.
