The Justice Mehtab Singh Gill Commission on Sunday submitted the fourth interim report in the alleged false cases registered during the Parkash Singh Badal regime, in which the panel has recommended action in 30 of the 112 complaints examined in this round.

Among the 30 cases in which action has been recommended is the case against Kotkapura journalist Naresh Kumar under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Citing his acquittal by the Faridkot judicial court, the Commission has recommended cancellation of FIR against the journalist, according to an official spokesperson.

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Justice Gill said the Commission had recommended legal action against the complainant and the police officials who registered a false case against Naresh Kumar out of sheer political vendetta.

In its 4th report, the Commission has dismissed 82 complaints/cases on various grounds, said the spokesperson, adding that the two-member Commission, which has former District and Sessions Judge BS Mehndiratta as member, has now disposed of 563 of the total 4,371 complaints received till 31 July 2017.

Some of the complaints were referred to the Commission by the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC). Subsequently, the HC has accepted the recommendations of the Commission and directed the state Home department to take appropriate action. The Commission had also referred cases for grant of compensation to the persons, who were targeted by the previous regime out of political vendetta and now acquitted by the courts.

It may be recalled that the third interim report of the Commission, relating to 101 cases/complaints received by it across the state, had recommended cancellation of FIRs in a total of 12 cases, five of them after taking appropriate orders from the Court. The Commission had also recommended action against two Investigation Officers (IOs) for their alleged biased role under the political influence.

In its second interim report, the Commission had found political vendetta in 47 cases identified by it as false. In that report, the Commission had recommended cancellation of FIRs in 37 of these cases, while in four cases it suggested compensation to accused acquitted by courts. In the remaining six, it recommended other action, such as not to file challans in courts. Earlier, it had submitted its first interim report in August recommending compensation in 130 cases after examining 172 complaints.