Haryana Government on Monday accepted that the allegations of gang rape of women during the Jat agitation in the state in Murthal could be true as it added the offence of gang rape in the FIR registered at Murthal.
During the resumed hearing of the case, Inspector-General of Police (South Range)-cum-SIT in charge Mamta Singh told the court that the charges under section 376-A had been added to the FIR in Murthal. In its report, the SIT said that it has taken notice of the two letters, one sent by a Non-resident Indian from Australia and the other, an anonymous letter, sent by a student, have supported the allegation of molestation.
The SIT report said “Since the content of both communications reveals commission of offence under Section 376-D of the IPC, the relevant section has been added on the basis of the content. Further investigation will be conducted on these communications to verify the content of the communication…”
The report added “Keeping in view the sensitivity of matter, utmost care has been taken to keep secret the identity of victim, if the communication is substantiated and victim is identified,” SIT incharge also said that the content of anonymous letter revealed that the victim was a final year degree student. Her father had come to take her from hostel during weekdays.
Referring to the other letter procured from local television channel, Mamta Singh said the NRI woman stated that she reached airport from Australia on February 21 and was traveling on National-Highway-1 near Murthal, when she was allegedly raped. In the letter, the woman also gave few names of relatives, who arrived with her that day.
Haryana police had registered FIR in this matter on March 30 on the complaint of a Delhi resident-cum-witness Bobby Joshi who had alleged that girls were forcibly taken to the fields. Haryana police though had registered the FIR after getting a rap from the High Court but the charges of gang rape were not included.
The matter of molestation had come to light when a media report was published on the alleged molestation of women commuters by 30-odd goons during the Jat reservation agitation. High Court had taken suo motu notice of the report and sought a reply from the Government.
Though the Haryana Government escaped the drubbing by the High Court on the shoddy investigation but it could not prevent the condemnation by the court while Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Gurmit Ram raised serious question mark on the legal status of the Parkash Singh panel that had been set up by the Haryana Government to look into the “acts of omission and commission” on part of state functionaries during Jat agitation row.
Questioning the legal validity of the panel, the bench said that the panel had not been set up under any provisions of law and its report would not be binding on the state. Admonishing the state the bench asserted that no action would be taken on the report of the panel as the panel lacks legal sanctity.
The Bench also dealt with the scope of inquiry being conducted by the Commission of Enquiry set up by the state, when the Amicus Curie Anupam Gupta raised the apprehension on multiple enquiries and said that Parkash Singh panel had been rendered redundant as the Commission of Enquiry too is probing the same issues.
Defending the multiple enquiries, Additional Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta told the court that the police, Parkash Singh panel and the Commission of Enquiry had been probing different aspects and there was no overlapping in their investigations.
Seeking fresh status report from the SIT, High Court adjourned the hearing for May 4.