Punjab: CM asks State Advocate General to oppose CBI closure report in Bargari case

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday directed the state Advocate General to oppose the CBI closure report in the Bargari case in the CBI court.

The Chief Minister said that the investigative agency had no jurisdiction to file the report in the light of the January 2019 observations of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, according to a statement put out by the chief minister's office.

Amarinder Singh has issued the directive on the basis of the judicial and legal position shared with him by Advocate General (AG) Atul Nanda after a detailed examination of the facts and circumstances preceding the closure report, according to an official spokesperson.

Earlier, in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister held the Akalis squarely responsible for scuttling the investigations in the Bargari sacrilege case and the failure to bring the culprits to book till date, the statement added.

Despite the Akalis' efforts to obstruct justice, his government would, however, take the case to its logical conclusion and ensure justice for the victims, Captain Amarinder declared in the Assembly during the Zero Hour, while responding to the issue raised by AAP legislator Aman Arora.

No proper inquiry was conducted by the CBI, said he said and added that the central agency deliberately did not make any headway in the case under the directives of the then Deputy Chief Minister and home minister Sukhbir Badal. "The CBI did no investigations because of you," he said, pointing to the Akali benches.

The Chief Minister noted that the CBI had, in fact, shown interest in challenging the state's decision to withdraw the Bargari cases from it, but then suddenly and inexplicably decided to file its closure report. It was obvious that the agency had acted under political pressure, he added.

The fact of the CBI's failure to make any progress in the investigations had been taken note of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Chief Minister observed, reading out from the January 25, 2019, judgement in Charanjit Singh and others vs State of Punjab.

On a specific query being put to CBI counsel about the status of investigations despite lapse of almost three years, no clear answer was forthcoming, the Chief Minister further pointed out.

Amarinder Singh also highlighted that the court had found the SIT set up by the state government to be fully equipped to handle the probe. He cited the court's remarks: "This court has no doubt that for the purpose of arriving at logical conclusion, the SIT shall employ all investigative skills and forensic methods at its command and conclude the investigation expeditiously."

Given the facts and circumstances, it was more than obvious that the CBI decision to file its closure report was ill-motivated and not in the interest of justice in the Bargari case, the Chief Minister told the House.