The Haryana government on Monday said it had decided to withdraw 180 more cases against protestors who participated in the Jat quota agitation in February 2016, The Indian Express reported.
Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) SS Prasad told reporters that the state government had revoked nearly 137 cases till June 2, 2017, and 81 cases more till February 5, 2018. With the 180 cases to be withdrawn in the latest phase, the number of remaining cases is 398.
The latest cases to be withdrawn mainly deal with local roads being blocked during the protests, government officials being obstructed on duty and property damage, The Indian Express quoted unidentified officials as saying. The state government will also seek the Centre’s approval to withdraw cases related to protestors blocking national highways during the Jat agitation.
More than a dozen people had died in the 2016 protests held to demand reservation for the Jat community. Protests had also spread to Delhi, Gurugram and Uttar Pradesh. Additional Chief Secretary Prasad said around 2,100 cases were registered then, The Tribune reported.
The Haryana Home Affairs Department has sent a directive on the decision to the deputy commissioners of the seven districts that were worst affected by the agitation, The Tribune quoted unidentified officials as saying. As the trial for several cases is in progress in district courts, the deputy commissioners need to write to district attorneys to submit applications for the cases to be withdrawn from courts.
After Jat groups threatened to launch another agitation in February, the Haryana government held a meeting with them and agreed to withdraw all criminal cases against members of the community, besides those filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The government had also said it would submit a report on the status of Jat representation in educational institutes and government jobs to the Haryana Backward Classes Commission by March 31 to make a final decision on the matter.
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