HC asks for quick disposal of cases

Chandigarh, March 20 The High Court has directed the Punjab government to get all the 26 pending applications for prosecution sanctions decided within eight weeks.
Advocate H C Arora in his public interest litigation (PIL) has sought court’s directions to State of Punjab and Punjab Vigilance Bureau to ensure that “competent authorities immediately pass necessary orders for withholding or granting sanction” for prosecution of 87 public servants, who were caught red-handed while accepting bribe.
The case came up forhearing today.
The written statement filed by Deputy Superintendent, Punjab Vigilance
Bureau, Anil Kumar, revealed that of the 86 cases, which were earlier pending for grant of prosecution sanction, has been received in 20 cases.
Challans have been put up before courts of law in another 19 cases.
The FIRs have been quashed by the court in two cases, prosecution sanction has been denied by the respective administrative departments in 17 cases, two cases have been received back from the Administrative departments for seeking comments, whereas 26 cases are still pending for decision before the Administrative departments.
The statement revealed that the cases in which prosecution sanction has been declined pertain to two doctors, a Building Inspector and a clerk in the Municipal Corporation, a sub-inspector, and an assitant sub-inspector, a junior engineer and a SDO of PSEB, a manager of a co-op society, two Patwaris, one from the Kanungo of Revenue department, one Assistant Revenue Clerk, one Naib Tehsildar, one BDPO.
While the pending cases pertain to one branch manager of Punjab National Bank, one SMO, one doctor, one section officer, one SE of a
Municipal Corporation, two sub-inspectors, four assitant sub-inspectors, three SDOs of PSEB, one inspector,
one district manager of Punjab Agro, one SDO of Punjab Mandi Karan Board, one SDO of PWD, one Deputy Director of PSIEC, one Ex-En of Pollution Board, three SIs of RPF, two Kanungos, two Tehsildars, one Naib Tehsildar.
During the hearing today, the petitioner requested the court to give some time-bounding direction to the respondents to get the decisions of the competent authorities in the 26 pending cases also.
Accepting the request, the Division Bench directed the parties to get the applications for prosecution sanctions decided expeditiously, without any further delay.
Express news serviceexpressindia.com; Posted online: Friday , March 21, 2008 at 12:17:59Updated: Friday , March 21, 2008 at 12:40:13