Probe judicial records on terrorism: Gill

Former director general of Punjab police K P S Gill on Saturday said a constitutional commission should be set up to examine judicial records during the period of terrorism in the state as well as to identify judicial officers who failed to discharge their constitutional obligation.

Another commission should be constituted to zero in on officials in all branches of administration who were guilty of wilful and gross dereliction of duty during this period. This will ensure that ''acts of cravenness'' are punished and not rewarded, he said.

Gill, who wrote a letter to Prime Minister I K Gujral and sent copies to the chief justice of india, the Lok Sabha speaker and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, broke his silence on the subject after more than two years in the hope that the leadership of the nation will do ''justice to those bravemen and women, who made this peace possible''.

Gill said the commission may also enquire whether the judicial officers honour their oath to dispense justice without fear or favour and determine their accountability and suggest suitable action to ensure that the judicial and criminal justice system does not collapse or fall ever again in the face of lawlessness.

Clarifying his stand that he was not in favour of immunity to any member of the Punjab police or for himself, Gill said investigations and trials be held according to the laws of land but the special circumstances that prevailed in Punjab be taken into consideration.

In his six-page letter to the prime minister, Gill wrote in detail on the functioning of the police during the period of terrorism as well as on the recent events including the suicide of Tarn Taran police chief A S Sandhu.

''I cannot remain silent when the memory of the men who sacrificed their lives under my command is denigrated and when those who have survived the greatest of dangers and made immeasurable sacrifices in campaigns during a virulent proxy war are subject to an unprecedented and unprincipled inquisition,'' Gill said.

''What is to be said of judges who failed to consider overwhelming evidence of the most heinous crime and failed to administer justice according to the laws of land for over a decade in terrorist-related cases?'' Gill questioned. Even in the Operation Black Thunder, where the entire action was carried out in full view of media, not a single conviction was pronounced, he said.

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