J-K Governor requested to cancel withdrawal of stone pelting cases

Supreme Court advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ajay Agrawal on Tuesday wrote to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Narinder Nath Vohra, requesting him to immediately cancel the order of withdrawal of prosecution in thousands of cases relating to stone pelters.

Agrawal, in his letter, argued that the Jammu and Kashmir Government took the decision to withdraw the cases without the consent of the individual paramilitary/Army and other personnel, who were the victims in these cases.

"State has no power to withdraw a case in which injury was caused to an individual and his consent is not obtained prior to moving withdrawal of prosecution application by the state government, which against the set procedure of the withdrawal of these criminal cases," Agrawal said.

He requested Governor Vohra to cancel the order in the overall national interest.

Earlier in February, Mehbooba Mufti Government had approved the withdrawal of cases against the first offenders of stone pelting.

State agricultural minister Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, while replying on behalf of the Minister for Home, had informed, "The government approved the withdrawal of cases registered against first-time offenders during the period 2008-2017, on the basis of recommendations of the committee constituted by the government".

He had said these included 61 FIRs involving 530 persons of Shopian.

Hanjura had also informed that 4,066 FIRs were registered against 14,208 stone pelters during the last three years in the Valley.