HC orders probe by Sessions Judge against magistrate

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered an inquiry by a Sessions Judge into inaction by a magistrate. The court has set a two-week deadline for the probe.

The direction to the Kapurthala District and Sessions Judge came after Justice Deepak Sibal of the High Court observed that the magistrate had failed to pass the final order on a cancellation report in a compromise case.

The report was filed on August 22, 2013. The complainant had appeared before the court on April 22, 2015, stating that he had no objection if the report was accepted.

Two petitions had been filed by Jasbir Kaur and others against Punjab and other respondents. They were seeking the quashing of an FIR dated April 10, 2012, registered for trespass and other offences under Sections 452, 326, 323, 354, 356, 148 and 149 of the IPC at Fattu Dhinga police station in Kapurthala district. Directions for quashing all consequential proceedings were also sought in view of a compromise between the parties.

Appearing before Justice Sibal’s Bench, counsel for the petitioners submitted that an investigation was conducted, following which the prosecution submitted a cancellation report before the trial court as no case was made out.

Justice Sibal observed that the parties waited for a long time for the trial court to decide the cancellation report submitted by the police, but to no avail.