The Supreme Court on Monday took “serious” note of a petition by a management student at Haryana’s Jindal Global University, who demanded a CBI probe. In her complaint, she alleged that she was sexually abused by three seniors in the campus, who later blackmailed using her nude pictures which were circulated on WhatsApp.
Seeking responses of the Haryana Police and CBI on Wednesday, the Vacation Bench of Justices AK Sikri and UU lalit said, “It is a serious matter”. Senior advocate Indira Jaising who appeared for the victim, a student of the BBA-MBA course, alleged shoddy probe by police who had not yet seized the mobiles and laptops from college authorities. More shockingly, pressure was being built by local politicians on the victim to withdraw her complaint.
The court, however, directed the Haryana Police to produce original records along with a fresh status on the pending investigation. When Jaising demanded stay of the investigation as she apprehended that a final report was under preparation, the Bench said, “Do you expect the police will file a closure report in a case like thisIJ”
The court also pointed out the lack of adequate provisions in the IPC and Information Technology Act — that stood attracted as per the girl’s complaint. The victim’s parents alleged that the police shunned recording the entire complaint and preferred to record it in parts. It had even come to light that two of the accused had been missing soon after they were produced in the police station.
Jaising pointed out that sensitive material sufficient to nail the accused was still lying in the respective WhatsApp account of the three accused.
According to the victim’s complaint, one of the accused befriended her which led up to a physical relationship. But, the accused later forced her to please his friends as well through the same videos.