Implication of innocents by the Punjab Police has been a matter of conjectures since long, but a report submitted by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill panel on Wednesday has brought to fore the sordid reality of the police functioning.
It has not only recommended compensation in 130 cases out of 178 examined by the Commission so far, but also recommended cancellation of FIRs or withdrawal of cases in another 19 cases. Notably, the Commission has received 4,200 cases till date.
The interim report not only dents the image of the Punjab Police but also vindicates the Congress party’s stand of people being implicated in false cases by the previous SAD-BJP Government. looking into false cases and fixing responsibility of the erring was the major pre-poll promise of the Congress party.
In its first interim report submitted to the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday, the Commission also suggested the recovery of the relief amount from the investigating officers.
Set up about four months back to look into the “false” cases during the past decade, the Commission of Enquiry was headed by the former Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice (retired) Mehtab Singh Gill. Justice Gill, to start with, has looked in to the cases wherein the police inquiry has found the matter is false, where challan has not been filed and where the proceedings have finished in orders of acquittal.
The Commission is yet to look into the pending cases.
Justice Gill has also recommended dismissal of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gurmeet Singh after a Court recorded in its verdict that the accused was implicated in a false case registered at his behest at Khanna Sadar police station.
The Commission has also recommended prosecution of complainants under Section 182 of the Indian Penal Code — for providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person — in cases of false implication.
It has also found that in 79 cases, the Enforcement Department correctly and impartially concluded the cases to be false. For 19 cases, the Commission has recommended cancellation of FIR or withdrawal of case while asking the state Home and Judicial Department to request the courts concerned to proceed in a legal and proper manner.
Where the court accepts the cancellation report, the first informant or complainant should be prosecuted under section 182 of the IPC except in cross cases, the Commission has recommended, adding that the culprits should, under no circumstances, be allowed to go scot free. Prosecution in such cases was necessary to check registration of such false cases, and save honest and innocent citizens from unnecessary high-handedness and harassment, Justice Gill stated in his interim report.
Justice Gill added the Government should ensure that police officers with clean track record and known integrity are posted to key posts, especially in the field.
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh has directed the State Home and Judicial Department to examine and implement the recommendations of the interim report in a time-bound manner.