5th GILL COMMISSION INTERIM REPORT FINDS 41 CASES TO BE FALSE

RECOMMENDS CANCELLATION OF FIRs AGAINST GURDASPUR EX-SDM SAYAL, DADUWAL

Chandigarh, February 6, 2018: in its 5th interim report submitted to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh today, Justice (Retd.) Mehtab Singh Gill Commission of Inquiry has recommended action, mainly cancellation of FIRs, in 41 cases, taking the total number of such cases so far to 258.

Among the cases in which cancellation has been recommended in this report are FIRs against Vijay Sayal, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gurdaspur, and Sikh religious preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal, both of which which the Commission described as culmination of vendetta resulting from their refusal to obey the diktats of former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and former Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia.

Sayal was falsely implicated in a FIR registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Faridkot, for challaning the Orbit Bus of Sukhbir, who was also holding the portfolio of Home Department. In the case of Daduwal, the Commission did not find anything seditious in his speech at the congregation held on November 10, 2015.

In the 5th report, which Justice Gill submitted to the Chief Minister at his official residence here, out of 159 complaints, 118 complaints have been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or for being without merit. Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that Justice Gill apprised the Chief Minister that as many as 41 complaints had been allowed, in which action has been proposed mainly for cancellation of FIRs.

Of 655 complaints examined till date, the Commission has recommended relief in 258 while dismissing the remaining 397.

In the first interim report submitted on August 23, 2017, out of 178 complaints, 58 complaints were dismissed and relief was given to 120 complainants.

In the second interim report submitted a month later on September 23, 2017, out of 106 complaints, 59 were dismissed and in 47 complaints relief was given to the complainants.

The third interim report was submitted on October 23, 2017, wherein of a total of 101 complaints, 81 were dismissed and relief was provided in 20.

In its fourth interim report, submitted on November 30, 2017, 111 complaints were dealt with. Of these, 81 complaints were dismissed and relief was given to 30 complainants.