Govt to drop 137 Jat stir cases

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21

The state government has decided to drop 137 cases against 1,150 protesters registered during the February 2016 Jat agitation that turned violent. It has been under constant pressure from Jat leaders to withdraw the cases.

Sources say the cases are essentially against those who blocked roads and cut trees during the agitation, as also those booked for violation of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC. The government has not touched any of the 280 cases pertaining to “heinous crimes” reported during the agitation. A total of 570 cases were registered.

During the course of the agitation, 244 cases of road blockade and tree-cutting were registered while 2,270 persons were charge-sheeted under Sections 186 and 188 of the IPC for obstructing public servants in discharge of public functions and disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant.

The sources say the government exercised its powers under Section 321 of the CrPC, which lays down that the state can withdraw cases with the consent of courts, the trial court in this case.

The cases that have been dropped, the government is learnt to have recently submitted an affidavit in court also, though the court is yet to take a view on the matter.

“The government is well within its right to withdraw cases. This was done after taking the opinion of the Advocate General. It remains to be seen what view the courts take,” a senior officer stated, adding that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, too, may give a view in the matter.

He said this was only a “small number” of the total cases, as in a number of other cases courts had either acquitted those named or punished the guilty.

The sources maintain that the government will take a view on other cases after the court gives its consent on the withdrawal of cases recommended by the state government.

Meanwhile, the panel constituted under Minister of State for Social Justice Krishan Bedi has already offered jobs to the kin of those killed during the agitation and granted compensation to the injured and the bereaved families. The panel was formed as part of an agreement with the Jats in March this year.