Murthal rapes: Key eyewitness ‘attacked’, escapes unhurt

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

Delhi resident, Bobby Joshi, a key witness to the Murthal gangrapes during the Jat reservation stir, was allegedly attacked by two unidentified persons on National Highway -1, while he drove enroute to Delhi from Ludhiana last night. Though Joshi escaped unhurt in the incident, the two motorcycle borne attackers hurled a stone at him, smashing the car’s window.

Speaking to The Tribune, Bobby Joshi said, “While returning to Delhi in my car from Ludhiana, I stopped to buy cigarettes between Karnal and Panipat around midnight. As I got back into the car, two motorcycle-borne youths drove towards me. Hurling abuses, they threw a stone at me, shattering the car’s window.”

Even though the police claimed to have provided him security on Friday itself, after he allegedly received a threat call, no cop was accompanying Joshi while the incident took place last night. Joshi said he later narrated the incident to cops, who joined him at Panipat.

Asked whether he had lodged an FIR following the incident, Joshi said he had informed Mamta Singh, Inspector General of Police (IG), who also heads the SIT formed by the state government to probe the Murthal gangrapes. “They have asked me to give a written complaint,” Joshi said.

Mamta Singh, IG, said Joshi had brought the matter to her notice today when she had called him to ask when he would appear before the SIT to record his statement. She also said Joshi neither contacted her or the police immediately after the incident.

When asked about the absence of security cover provided to Joshi during the attack, the IG said since Joshi was in Ludhiana, he had himself coordinated with the security guards and asked them to wait for him at Panipat.

“I have referred his complaint to Karnal SP and told him to take action as per the law,” she said.

When asked whether he had narrated the incident to the security guards at Panipat, she refused to comment.

After initially rejecting the reports of sexual assaults in Murthal, the state government had informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court during the last hearing on the case that a section on gangrape had been added to the FIR registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Bobby Joshi on March 30 alleging gang-rapes during the Jat quota violence.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had taken suo motu notice of media reports that some women commuters were stripped and raped by rioters at Murthal on National Highway – 1 during the Jat stir.

Joshi had alleged receiving a threat call on Friday frightening him with dire consequences for “speaking too much”. Mamta Singh, IG, claimed to have provided him security then.