Rajasthan: Ordinance to protect public servants from probe lapses

The ordinance was drafted by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the state on September 6 and a bill replacing it was tabled in the state Assembly on October 23.

Jaipur, December 4: The controversial Criminal Law (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance 2017, lapsed on Monday. The law led to the nationwide uproar and forced the state government to rethink about introducing it.

The ordinance was drafted by the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the state on September 6 and a bill replacing it was tabled in the state Assembly on October 23.

However, facing criticisms from all corners, the government had referred the bill to the Select Committee of the House for a review on October 24. The ordinance was valid for a 42-day period.

It lapsed automatically at Sunday midnight. "Legally, the ordinance no longer stands," confirmed senior state minister Gulab Chand Kataria, adding that the bill replacing the ordinance was under the consideration of the Select Committee, which would take a call on its fate.

Kataria said whatever the committee felt -- whether the ordinance could be re-introduced in the House as it was or with certain amendments -- would be done and that if it thought otherwise, the matter would end there.

Kataria heads the Select Committee, which is expected to submit its report during the first week of the next Assembly session. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for December 27.

The Rajasthan government had promulgated the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, which sought to protect serving and former judges, magistrates and public servants in the state from being investigated for on- duty action, without its prior sanction. It also aimed at barring the media from reporting on such accusations, till the sanction to proceed with a probe came from the government.

PTI