Chandigarh, July 7: Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has received judicial clearance to travel abroad this week following an order by the Chandigarh Additional District Sessions Court. The SAD leader is permitted to leave the country from July 7 to July 11 to attend to family and personal responsibilities.
The court decision comes as part of the ongoing legal process regarding the 2015 Kotkapura police firing case, in which Mr. Badal is named as an accused. Maintaining his commitment to the legal schedule, Mr. Badal stated in his plea, “The travel is necessary for personal engagements, and I will be back before the next scheduled court hearing.”
The case connects back to October 2015, when on-duty police officials opened fire during public demonstrations against sacrilege incidents in Faridkot district villages. The resulting unrest led to injuries in Kotkapura and two deaths in Behbal Kalan, prompting a prolonged investigation under the IPC and Arms Act that was eventually shifted to Chandigarh for trial.
