The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday issued an order for the withdrawal of 308 cases registered during the 2017 jallikattu protest.
The order follows Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s announcement in the Assembly while speaking on the motion to thank Governor Banwarilal Purohit for his address.
In the order, Home Secretary S.K. Prabakhar said the Director-General of Police (DGP) had submitted the details of the cases to be considered for withdrawal.
The public prosecutor had also opined that further proceedings might be dropped.
The order said that in the cases wherein investigation was pending, further action might be dropped.
“In the cases pending trial, the assistant public prosecutor in charge thereof may be directed to move an application under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for withdrawal of prosecution and follow the procedure therein,” Mr. Prabakhar said.
As for the cases involving the Railways Act, further permission from the Centre may be obtained and produced before the trial courts and the assistant public prosecutor in charge of these cases may be directed to move an application under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
No permission from the Centre is required for withdrawal of the cases filed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (Entry 17 of the Concurrent List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution).
