CUTTACK: Director General of Police (DGP) KB Singh on Saturday ordered SPs of all 30 districts to withdraw criminal prosecutions in 6,786 cases registered in connection with violation of Odisha Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2016.
The DGP’s direction came in response to the Home Department instruction on the basis of Cabinet Memorandum No 15701 dated August 16, 2016.
As per Singh’s instruction, no criminal case shall be registered against any person for violation of OPDS (Control) Order till September 30, 2016. Similarly, no criminal case shall be registered against any person for violation of the order after September 30 unless approval of the competent authority.
The cases which are under investigation may be finally reported as mistake of law consonance with Rule 29 (2) of the Order. If any such case has already been chargesheeted, the same may be reopened for further investigation under section 173 (8) of CrPC by the IICs of the police station concerned and thereafter, the case may be finally reported under mistake of law. The DGP further instructed that if any written report is received at police stations for violation of OPDS (Control) Order, the same should not be registered as a case.
If any person is noted as an absconder in any such case, no NBW shall be initiated against him. Similarly, if any NBW is pending against any accused person in connection with such cases, it should be recalled on the initiative of the investigating officer concerned. All cases registered in connection with violation of OPDS(Control) Order should be closed by September 25, 2016.