Punjab: CBI inquiry in sacrilege cases can be withdrawn and passed on to SIT, says state law officer
Advocate General Atul Nanda’s remarks came days after the Assembly passed a resolution endorsing an investigation by the state police.
Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda on Thursday said the Central Bureau of Investigation’s ongoing inquiries into incidents of desecration of religious texts may be withdrawn with the Centre’s consent, reported PTI. “There is no bar in withdrawing cases from CBI,” he added.
The state will have the prerogative to decide if cases in which first information reports have not been registered yet should be taken away from the central agency, he added.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said a special investigation team of the Punjab Police will conduct a time-bound investigation into incidents of sacrilege in Bargari in Faridkot district and in other places across the states as well as incidents of police firing in Behbal Kalan and Kotkapura.
In October 2015, two people were killed and several injured when the police fired at demonstrators protesting against a series of incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy text of the Sikhs. The first incident of desecration was reported from Bargari in Faridkot. The central agency was investigating three sacrilege cases, including theft of a ‘bir’ (copy of the Guru Granth Sahib) from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village in Kotkapura.
Nanda’s comments came two days after the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution saying the Special Investigation Team, and not the Central Bureau of Investigation, should conduct the inquiries in these cases.
Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal has criticised the decision to hand over the investigation to the Punjab Police.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA HS Phoolka, however, said the government was entitled to hand over the inquiries to the state police on valid grounds. “In the present case, the case is being withdrawn because the Ranjit Singh Commission has stated in its report that the CBI has not made much progress,” he said. “It is a highly emotive issue in Punjab and the delay in investigation is causing unrest among the people of Punjab. Therefore, withdrawal of the case from CBI and time-bound investigation by SIT of Punjab Police is a valid ground.”
On Tuesday, the Punjab Assembly passed two amendment bills that make desecration of religious texts punishable with life imprisonment.