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Cases against Ministers, MP will continue: Gogoi

By Our Special Correspondent

GUWAHATI, FEB. 24. The Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, said today that the prosecution in 39 cases registered against ruling Congress leaders and workers, including two of his Ministers and a sitting MP, would not be withdrawn.

The State Home Commissioner, B.K. Gohain, had on January 21 asked all district magistrates to effect withdrawal petitions.

Mr. Gogoi had on Monday directed Mr. Gohain to modify the Government directive and give effect to the withdrawal of only "minor and non-criminal cases."

However, today he said that the prosecution in even the non-criminal and minor cases of violation of Section 144 of the IPC pending against Congress workers and leaders would not be withdrawn.

Mr. Gogoi also ordered a probe by the Additional Chief Secretary into the circumstances leading to issuance of the official directive on the withdrawal of prosecution in the cases, including that of criminal offences, as he was "kept in the dark."

The two Ministers facing cases are the Agriculture Minister, Ardhendu Kumar Dey and the Minister of State for Planning and Development, Himanta Biswa Sarma. While the police had filed a chargesheet against Mr. Dey in a case under Section 302 of the IPC of 1998, Sarma faces a case under TADA dating back to 1991.

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