Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 12: Government has terminated services of all 43 Public Prosecutors (PPs)/Additional Public Prosecutors (APPs) working in various courts across the State as terms of most of them had already ended.
According to official sources, “terms of most of these Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors had already ended and some of them even didn’t meet the criteria laid down by the Law Department for appointment of Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors”.
“In exercise of the powers by sub section (1) of section 492 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Samvat, 1989 read with sub rule (3) of rule 21 of the Jammu and Kashmir Law Officers (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016, the Government hereby terminates the services of all the Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors working in various courts across the State, with immediate effect,” said an order issued by Law Department on Tuesday.
The order further stated that all concerned Senior Prosecuting Officers/Chief Prosecuting Officers of the Police Department shall look after the criminal work in the respective Principal Sessions Courts/Additional Sessions Court, till further orders.
At the same time, sources said that Government has formed a 3-member committee headed by Advocate General J&K and comprising Director Prosecution J&K and a representative of Law Ministry for selection of candidates for appointment as Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors.
“Sanction is accorded to the constitution of a Selection Committee consisting of Advocate General J&K as Chairman, Manoj Kumar Pandit, Special Secretary to Government, Department of Law, Justice & PA as member and Director Prosecution J&K as member for making recommendations for selection/engagement of Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors on contractual basis in the State, in terms of the Jammu and Kashmir Law Officers (Appointment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2016,” said another order issued by Law Department.
As per the order, the Committee shall be serviced by Ashish Gupta, Deputy Legal Remembrancer who may be co-opted as member of the Committee. It further stated that Committee may devise a mechanism for making recommendations for selection of Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors.
“The Committee shall complete the process of recommendation of names for engaging Public Prosecutors/Additional Public Prosecutors within a period of 15 days from the date of issuance of this order for placing the same before the competent authority for its approval,” the order further read.
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