Pb panel probing into 'false cases' submits 4th interim report

An inquiry commission, set up to look into "false cases" registered against people during the decade-long SAD-BJP rule in Punjab, today submitted its fourth interim report, in which it recommended action in 30 of the 112 complaints examined in this round.
The Justice (retd.) Mehtab Singh Gill Commission submitted the report to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here.
Among the 30 cases in which action has been recommended, is the case against Kotkapura journalist Naresh Kumar under various sections of the IPC. Citing his acquittal by the Faridkot judicial court, the panel has recommended cancellation of FIR against the journalist, a release said.

Justice Gill (retd) said the commission had recommended legal action against the complainant and police officials who registered a "false case" against Naresh Kumar "out of sheer political vendetta".
In its fourth report, the panel has dismissed 82 complaints and cases on various grounds, a spokesperson said, adding the two-member inquiry panel, which has former District and Sessions Judge B S Mehndiratta as member, has disposed of 563 of the total 4,371 complaints received till July 31.
Some of the complaints were referred to the Commission by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The High Court has accepted the panel's recommendations and directed the home department to take appropriate action. The panel had also referred cases for grant of compensation to the persons, who were targeted by the previous regime of political vendetta and now acquitted by the courts.

The third interim report of the commission, relating to 101 cases and complaints received by it from across the state, had recommended cancellation of FIRs in 12 cases, five of them after taking appropriate orders from the court.
The commission had also recommended action against two investigating officers for their alleged biased role under the political influence.
In its second interim report, the panel had found political vendetta involved in all the 47 cases identified by it as false. The Commission had recommended cancellation of FIRs in 37 of these cases, while in four it suggested compensation to accused acquitted by courts.

In the remaining six cases, it had recommended other actions, such as not to file challans in courts.
The first interim report in August had recommended compensation in 130 cases after examining 172 complaints.
During his election campaign, Amarinder Singh had promised the electorate that if the Congress forms government in the state, all false cases would be inquired into and justice would be ensured for the innocent.
He had also promised that all those found guilty of implicating people in false cases would be brought to book.