Cabinet panel to probe report leak

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 16

A Cabinet sub-committee will probe the alleged leak of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission report on the role of police officers behind the Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan firing incidents that followed the Bargari sacrilege incident before its tabling in the Vidhan Sabha.

Perturbed over the publication of the contents of the much-hyped report, several ministers raised the issue with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who has reportedly assured them to get it probed by a Cabinet sub-committee. The name of the committee members will be announced in two days.

Jails and Cooperation Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa were joined by others ministers when the issue came up during a meeting here. On a suggestion to get the alleged leak probed by a senior official of the intelligence wing, the ministers preferred the Cabinet sub-committee.

A minister said making contents of the report public before the Assembly session had given an advantage to the Akalis to firm up their strategy for the session. The Congress government had planned to use it against the Akalis in the coming panchayat and 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Akalis have already questioned the credibility and findings of the report.

Meanwhile, Justice Ranjit Singh (retd) on Thursday submitted the final part of the three-part report.

The complete set, along with the action taken report, will be tabled in the upcoming Vidhan Sabha session.

Tributes paid to Tandon

• Chandigarh: The Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, on Thursday observed a two-minute silence in the memory of Chhattisgarh Governor and former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Balramji Dass Tandon, who passed away on August 14.
• The Cabinet remembered him as a seasoned politician and an able administrator, who worked tirelessly for the development and prosperity of the state. TNS