HC wants monthly reports on attachment of POs’ properties

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has asked district and sessions judges of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh to submit monthly reports on action taken in the cases where a person has been declared a proclaimed offender.

In a communication, the court said that the district and sessions judges should sensitise judicial officers so that process of attachment of properties of a proclaimed offender is initiated, after a declaration in this regard. Proclaimed offenders are declared by the respective trial court s, when a person does not appear before court despite warrants. It is important for the prosecution to attach properties of a proclaimed offender so that he/ she is not able to sell off his properties or does not get financial aid to remain in the hiding.

The sessions judges have been told to ensure that in all the cases where an accused have been declared a proclaimed offender, the file should not be consigned to record rooms and details of properties of the person be procured and attachment process be initiated. The letter has been sent after deliberations among the judges on the issue during a recent meeting.

Under Section 82 of CrPC, a person who does not appear before a court despite warrants can be declared a proclaimed offender. It is under section 83 of the CrPC that a court can attach properties of the PO if it is convinced that the person may dispose them of. HTC