20,000 bail jumpers, POs in Punjab Haryana, UT

Chandigarh, Sep 7 (UNI) An alarming figure of over 20,000 proclaimed offenders (PO), bail jumpers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh was today revealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the resumed hearing on the PIL which has sought directions for effective steps to nab these law breakers.

Punjab alone accounted for a total of 10,018 POs/bail jumpers, while there were 11,693 such cases in Haryana as on April 30 this year, as per the replies submitted to the court's division bench of the acting Chief Justice Harjit Singh Bedi and Justice Ranjit Singh by the respective state governments.

The Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh has a total of 742 proclaimed offenders as on July 31, 2006 out of which 489 were residents of other states.

Expressing its dissatisfaction at the situation, the bench directed the district courts in both the states to seek specific information from the sureties as to the number of cases in which the said person had given surety for the accused persons.

The bench also recorded in its order that the situation required to be monitored by the high court and adjourned further hearing to December with directions to respondent governments to ascertain further progress in the matter.

UNI XC PS SBA HT2152