Srinagar: As many as 503 cases of corruption and other malpractices are pending against the Jammu and Kashmir government employees in different anti-corruption courts of the State.
The officials of the State Vigilance Organization (SVO) on Saturday while revealing this said that out of these 56 are at final and 391 are at evidence stages.
However since in many cases the witnesses have turned hostile, minister for Law and Justice, Abdul Haq Khan, on Saturday directed law officials to invoke perjury against officials or private parties who turn hostile during trial which he said, was affecting justice.
The minister held a meeting with top officials of the concerned departments and agencies to review the functioning of court cases pertaining to SVO and the Crime Branch of the J&K police.
The others who attended the meeting included J&K’s Advocate General Jahangir Iqbal Ganai, secretary law, Abdul Majid Bhat, director vigilance SJM Geelani, IG Crime, Alok Puri, DIG Crime Ashkur Wani, SSP Crime Kashmir, Javid Ahmad Koul, deputy directors, special prosecuting officers and chief prosecuting officers of Crime and Vigilance departments.
During the meeting, the minister said that most of the cases are disposed of off without conviction as either witness turn hostile or investigating officers and other government officials do not turn up during the trial.
“The minister took serious note of the matter and directed the officials to proceed against such witnesses under perjury for hampering the process of investigation and the subsequent deliverance of justice,” an official spokesman said. He quoted the minister as saying that action against such erring witnesses is important.
He also said that steps should be taken to ensure that all prosecution witnesses appear in cases before the courts and called for cooperation between different law enforcing agencies, investigation agencies, prosecution wing of law department and investigation wing of the police department to ensure detailed investigation and early disposal of cases in courts.
