Chandigarh, March 29
Fearing a public outrage like the one witnessed in protest of the handling of the Jessica Lall murder case in Delhi, the Punjab Police has recommended that 16 high-profile cases of serious crime in Punjab be referred to fast-track courts for quick dispensation of justice.

Among the 16 cases eight are murder cases, five are cases of kidnapping for ransom, two cases of robbery and one case of train dacoity committed during the past year. Well placed sources said a complete list of the cases along with a brief note detailing the facts of each case has been forwarded to the office of the Home and Justice Department, headed by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh.

The Advocate-General, Mr R.S. Cheema, has been asked to give his advice on the matter before the move is given formal sanction. It may be mentioned that fast-track courts are set to start in Punjab as soon as formal clearance has been obtained. When the fast-track courts start functioning, certain cases will be transferred to these courts.

The DGP, Mr S.S. Virk, while confirming the move said the plan is to have speedy delivery of justice. All cases recommended by the police are sensitive and serious in nature.

The murder cases which might be referred to the fast-track courts had shook the conscience of the people and created a furore over the past few months. These include the murder of former Additional Sessions Judge, Vijay Singh, who was allegedly killed by a woman family friend in Patiala last October. The woman was arrested.

Last December, Sukhwinder Jit Singh, an engineer with Quark, an IT company, was shot dead in Mohali. His wife, Narinder Kaur alias Neki Nalwa and her paramour Mohinder Vir Singh alias Brandy were arrested for the alleged involvement and the case is pending in a Kharar court.

Another case is of a non-resident Indian, Mohan Singh Baring, whose body was found along the National Highway in Phillaur last August. The police nabbed the alleged paramour of his daughter-in-law, who was having strained relations with Shalinder Singh, a son of the deceased. The case of the acting chief of Dera Bhai Jagtaji, Bathinda, is also on the list of 16 cases.

The murder of Ludhiana woman, Reema Jain, of a business family in July last had also rocked the state. Her brother-in-law, Anil Jain, along with others was booked in the case. Among others on the list are the case of the killing of three family members near Kharar allegedly by a criminal tribe.