E-Paper
Criminal cases against MPs, MLAs: 42 cases under investigation; 99 under trial: Punjab to HC
As per the report, oldest case pending trial is against Jagdev Singh Kamalu registered in March 2007 for criminal intimidation and voluntary causing hurt at police station Maur.
The Punjab government has told the high court that as many as 42 cases are pending investigation and in 99 cases trial is going on in criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs. The report in this regard was submitted on Thursday before the bench of justice AG Masih and justice Alok Jain in a suo motu plea in which high court is monitoring progress in probe and trials against the MPs and MLAs. As per the report, oldest case pending trial is against Jagdev Singh Kamalu registered in March 2007 for criminal intimidation and voluntary causing hurt at police station Maur. However, in this case untraced report was prepared in 2007 itself.
Other cases pending trail are of 2009: Arms Act and criminal conspiracy case against Simranjeet Singh Bains registered in July 2009 in Ludhiana and the FIR against Raman Bhalla former MLA, under National Highways Act and criminal intimidation registered in Pathankot in September 2009. The list also includes a criminal intimidation case against former MLA Joginder Singh, registered in July 2009 on allegations of criminal intimidation in Ferozepur. However, a cancellation report has been prepared on May 24 this year.
The report also reveals that oldest case in which probe is pending is of former MLA, Brij Bhupinder, registered in March 1998 by the vigilance bureau under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The case is being re-investigated. Most of the cases pending trial and probe are of between the year 2017-2022.
The report comes in the wake of high court expressing its displeasure over pace of probe and trials. “This is a fit case where heavy cost should be imposed upon the respondents but keeping in view the fact that last opportunity has been prayed for, we adjourn the case..,” the high court had observed on the last date of hearing. The court was hearing a 2021 suo motu plea in which court is monitoring probe into FIRs registered against MPs and MLAs in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh upon directions in this regard from the apex court.
