HC seeks report on Maur blast probe

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday set a four-week deadline for the special investigation team (SIT) to submit in a sealed cover a comprehensive status report on the probe carried out so far in the January 2017 Maur blast case.

As the case came up for resumed hearing, SIT head Ranbir Singh Khatra appeared before the Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli in pursuance of the order passed on the previous date of hearing.

The Bench had asserted: “We are not at all satisfied with the status report since there has been no tangible progress in the investigation for the past few months. Let the SIT chief appear before us to assist the court in the matter.” The case will now come up on September 25 for further hearing.

The development took place over two months after a petition was filed for handing over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency or the CBI for a fair probe.

In his petition against Punjab, Bathinda SSP, Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim and other respondents, Gurjeet Singh Patran of Patiala district and two other petitioners claimed that the investigation had virtually come to a standstill after it was reported that the vehicle used in the blast was prepared in the VIP workshop of the Sirsa dera and two close aides of the sect chief were involved.