HC examines audio-video evidence in Murthal case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

For 48 minutes, the Punjab and Haryana High Court examined in camera audio and video evidence placed before the Bench in a case about alleged sexual assault on women in Murthal during the Jat agitation for reservation.

The evidence, gathered by The Tribune during the course of its investigation, was placed before the Bench by amicus curiae Anupam Gupta and The Tribune Chief of Haryana Bureau Naveen S Garewal.

Refusing to divulge the details as the proceedings were in camera, all Gupta said was that it had an impact on the Bench. Gupta and Garewal “very fairly” agreed to share the information placed before the Bench with the Special Investigating Team (SIT) probing the matter.

The development is significant as information to be supplied to the SIT is expected to provide a foundation to the investigating agency to act.

The SIT has all along been claiming lack of information about the victims. Gupta, on the other hand, had been castigating the agency for its failure to find those tracked down by the media during the course of its investigation.

The matter was placed before the Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Gurmit Ram after two judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of a news report carried in these columns on the alleged sexual assault on women.

As the case came up for resumed hearing today, Gupta offered to place the audio-video evidence before the Bench in the protective seclusion of judge’s chamber for safeguarding the “victims”.

He also acceded to the request by Haryana Additional Advocate General Lokesh Sinhal to permit SIT head Mamta Singh to be present in the chamber for viewing the evidence, along with another member of her team.

Gupta, at the same time, expressed his reluctance to share the information with the team as “other officers with the SIT had local linkages”. After hearing rival contentions, the Bench expressed its view that the evidence was vital for the investigating agency. The Bench adjourned the hearing to post lunch session for examining the evidence.

After coming out of the chamber, the Bench fixed the case for May 30 for further arguments, while making it clear that the investigation would go on.

The Bench directed placing on record the report of the Parkash Singh committee, and to provide facilities to the commission headed by Justice (retd) SN Jha for probing violence during agitation.