Bareilly (UP)Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Withdrawal of stone pelting cases against those first time offenders proved productive and that government cannot keep people in jail perpetually.
“The government does not want to keep someone confined in the jail … Some of them have come back to the mainstream… But action will be taken against anyone who indulges in wrong tactics,” Rajnath Singh said while replying to a question by reporters on withdrawal of cases against stone pelters in Kashmir. He said it was being done only in “cases of first time offenders caught for the first time”.
Over 9,730 people, involved in stone-throwing incidents between 2008 and 2017 in the Kashmir Valley were granted amnesty, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, told the Assembly recently. She said her government had approved the withdrawal of 1,745 cases, involving 9,730 persons. All these were categorised as first time offenders.
The cases were identified by a committee constituted by the Chief Minister earlier. Over 4,000 people, involved in minor incidents of stone throwing over the past two years, have already been granted amnesty, she had said.
In 3,773 cases, registered in 2016 and 2017, 11,290 were arrested. Of whom, 233 have remained untraced, she had said.
Around 8,570 people were arrested in 2016 alone. The number of cases in 2017 dropped to 869 and 2,720 people were arrested, said the Chief Minister.
She said 56 government employees and 16 Hurriyat activists were among the 4,949 people found involved in stone-throwing incidents. Around 4,074 were not affiliated with any separatist or militant group, she said.
Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh said India was giving a befitting reply to the nefarious activities of Pakistan.
Singh, who was here to attend a programme at Rohilkhand University, also said talks and terrorism cannot go hand in hand.
“India is giving a befitting reply to the nefarious activities of Pakistan… Talks and terrorism cannot go on concurrently,” he told newspersons.
Replying to a question on withdrawal of cases against stone pelters in Kashmir, he said it is being done only in “cases of first time offenders caught for the first time”.
“The government does not want to keep someone confined in the jail … Some of them have come back to the mainstream… But action will be taken against anyone who indulges in wrong tactics,” he said.
Askes about the Punjab National Bank scam, he said “every paisa will be realised and the culprits will be caught”. (With PTI inputs)
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