Punjab and Haryana High Court raps Punjab, Haryana for tardy investigation against legislators

Tribune News Service

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, January 19

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today rapped the states of Punjab and Haryana for tardy pace in dealing with cases involving sitting and former MPs/MLAs. The High Court, during the course of hearing, was told that seven criminal cases were pending investigation against sitting and erstwhile MPs and MLAs in Punjab, including senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia.

An affidavit carrying the details was placed before the Division Bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Sandeep Moudgil by Senior Deputy Advocate-General Gaurav Garg Dhuriwala.

The affidavit by Punjab Inspector-General of Police, Bureau of Investigation, Gursharan Singh Sandhu, said cases were pending against MLAs Pawan Kumar Tinu, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Baldev Singh Khehra, Balwinder Singh Bains and Simarjit Singh Bains, besides ex-MLAs Anil Joshi, Malkeet Singh AR, Ajit Singh Kohar and Virsa Singh Valtoha.

The admonition and submissions came just two months after the Bench was assured that all efforts were being made to expedite the process of investigation and conclude the same. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the Bench asserted status reports had been submitted in compliance of earlier order. But the assurances given on the last date of hearing and recorded in the order dated November 11, 2021, had not been fulfilled in toto.

“We would not say that the intention on the part of the states of Punjab or Haryana is lacking, but the efforts and actions supporting the intention appear to be missing or at least lagging. The reports as have been submitted indicate movement in the right direction, but the pace thereof is moving cannot be, by any stretch of imagination, said to be satisfactory,” the Bench added.

Before parting with the case, the Bench took note of a request made by the counsel for the states of Punjab and Haryana for “some time” to submit the further progress and status in the pending cases for investigation.

Accepting the request, the Bench fixed March 28 for further hearing in the matter.

The Bench was hearing suo motu or Court on its own motion matter “In Re: Special Courts for MPs/MLAs” for monitoring the progress of cases pending against the MP/MLAs.

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