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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
The Union law ministry is willing to study any proposal to grant amnesty to Punjab police officers facing prosecution in cases filed by the families of militants killed during the insurgency in the state.
However, it has not yet received a formal request in this connection from the ministry of home.
Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani had on Sunday announced at a public function in Jallandhar that the government would grant amnesty to police officers facing prosecution in cases linked to their actions against militants.
Minister of State for Home I D Swami, however, clarified that there would be no 'blanket amnesty.'
"You would appreciate that the judicial process in the country is very slow and it takes years to decide a matter. Though the insurgency in Punjab was all but eliminated in 1992, more than 500 police officers/policemen are still facing the music in courts," he said.
This, he said, has had an adverse impact on the morale of the force. "This was the reason why Advaniji made the offer (of amnesty)," Swami told rediff.com.
Asked how soon would the government make a formal offer, Swami said the decision would be taken by the home minister after consulting Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
And what would happen to 40 odd cases wherein the CBI has filed challans against guilty officers?
"The state government has the power to withdraw these challans," Swami said.
"But let me clarify once again, the amnesty would not be general. It would apply only to specific cases," he said.
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