This Article is From May 23, 2016

Jat Stir Panel Head Says He Was Asked To Give Clean Chit To Wrongdoers

Jat Stir Panel Head Says He Was Asked To Give Clean Chit To Wrongdoers

The committee has submitted a report on the violence during the Jat quota agitation. (File photo)

Chandigarh: Prakash Singh, who headed the committee that submitted a report on the violence during the Jat quota agitation, has claimed that attempts were made by some people to influence him during its preparation.

Mr Singh, without naming anyone, said certain people had tried to make him issue a "clean chit" to some wrongdoers.

"...things like provoking some leaders against the Committee, making 'sifarish' (influencing the Committee), these things started from the beginning (when the Committee was formed)," the former Uttar Pradesh DGP told reporters yesterday.

Throwing more light, Mr Singh said, "When the probe was in its final stages, some people thought there can be a question mark on their future, you know these days many officials have their political patrons, they send them (to influence).

"But I will say one thing that everyone talked respectfully, they wanted that some people be given clean chit," he said.

He said he prepared the report in an impartial manner as he felt his responsibility towards the people of Haryana has to be above all considerations.

"I listened to all of them, I listened with patience, but I thought my responsibility towards the people of Haryana has to be above all considerations. And discharging that duty, I wrote what I thought was true," he said.

Mr Singh said he hoped the state government would make the report public soon.

"I hope that Government puts this in public domain soon and ends its secrecy because many people have started to speculate about various things," he said.

The Prakash Singh Committee report, submitted to the Haryana Chief Minister over a week back, found "deliberate negligence" on the part of 90 officials, including IAS and IPS officers, during the Jat quota agitation in February.

The 450-page report submitted to the chief minister on May 13, is likely to be put in the public domain by month-end, official sources said.

Mr Singh said the officials who were negligent in performing their duty have been identified and their names given to the government.

"The government, on its part, has also started taking action on the report, many SDM, DSPs have been suspended," he said.
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