Chandigarh: The Justice (retd) Mehtab Singh Gill Commission, set up to look into "false cases" registered during the decade-long SAD-BJP rule in Punjab, has recommended cancellation of FIRs in 41 cases including those against a sub-divisional magistrate and a religious preacher.  

In its fifth interim report submitted to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today, the inquiry panel recommended action, mainly cancellation of FIRs, in 41 cases, taking the total number of such cases so far to 258.  

"Among the cases in which cancellation has been recommended in this report are FIRs against Vijay Sayal, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gurdaspur, and Sikh religious preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal, both of which the commission described as culmination of vendetta resulting from their refusal to obey the diktats of former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and former revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia," an official release read. 

Sanyal was falsely implicated in an FIR registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Faridkot, for challaning the Orbit Bus of Sukhbir, who also held the portfolio of home department, it read.  

In the case of Daduwal, the commission did not find anything seditious in his speech at the congregation held on November 10, 2015, according to the release. 

In the fifth report, out of 159 complaints, 118 have been set aside for lack of jurisdiction or for being without merit.  

A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Justice Gill apprised that as many as 41 complaints had been allowed, in which action has been proposed mainly for cancellation of FIRs.  

Of 655 complaints examined till date, the commission recommended relief in 258 and rejected the remaining 397. PTI