Criminal cases against 300 withdrawn

The Trinamool Congress government has withdrawn criminal cases against 300 people that were initiated during the Left Front government and is actively considering same for hundred more such cases.

"The Law Department had received over 1,200 applications from a cross-section of people who have claimed that they have been falsely implicated. May of them are former student leaders. A total 300 of these cases have already been withdrawn. The move was taken in line with the government policy to withdraw false cases against political persons," said outgoing Law Minister Moloy Ghatak.

Before coming to power, the Trinamool Congress had promised to withdraw cases, which it said were politically motivated and filed by the Left Front government to "frame" their political rivals.

After coming to power, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked people who were charged under various sections to file appeal with the government seeking withdrawal of cases against them. Public prosecutors have been asked to go through the case details and recommend to the state government. "The cases that have lost merits will be withdrawn. The public prosecutors will send their report to the state government through district magistrates," said Ghatak, who is now the new agriculture minister.

Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) leaders have benefitted most from the move, source said. "Not only TMCP supporters, in some cases it was seen that even SFI supporters were charged in false cases," a senior TMCP leader.

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