CHANDIGARH: Ina significant development Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Shekhar Dhawan, looking after three important cases, including the Gill Bajajcase, has been promoted and transferred, raising serious questions over the conclusion of these cases.

Mr, Dhawan has been looking after the cases pertaining to the alleged misbehavior by former Director General of Punjab Police K.P.S. Gill with IAS officer Rupan Deol Bajaj, the alleged abduction and molestation of a French woman Ms. Katia by the grandson of late Chief Minister Beant Singh and the case regarding the assassination of Beant Singh and 17 others.

Mr. Dhawan, it is learned, has been promoted and transferred to Yamuna agar in Haryana as Additional Districts and Session Judge.

Mr. Dhawan had been under tremendous pressure for the past six months owing to the three very sensitive cases he was handling.

Mr. Gill had even submitted an application that his case should be transferred out of Punjab on security grounds. Incidentally, Mr, Dhawan has also been transferred on security grounds and a perceived threat to his life.

It. was on October 12 last year that the Supreme Court had ordered the trial and prosecution of Mr. K.P.S. in the Gill Bajaj case within six months. The case is in an advanced stage and the six months term would end soon. The transfer of the CJM is bound to delay the conclusion of this case whose next hearing is fixed for February 22. During the last hearing a statement of Ms. Bajaj was recorded, the remaining part of which was scheduled to be recorded in the next hearing.

After a new CJM is appointed, he would take at least three to four weeks to study the three cases in detail before proceeding further. It is learned that Mr. Dhawan himself was keen to get himself transferred.

In the Katia cases whose hearing took place last week, the State has appealed to the CJM to summon Ms. Katia, but Mr, Alok Sen Gupta, counsel for Mr, Gurkirat Singh, grandson of former Chief Minister Beant Singh pleaded that there was no need for this and since former CJM M.S. Lobana had recorded the statement of Ms. Katia, the court could depend on that.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  February 14, 1996