Witness told panel about Murthal rapes, HC told

CHANDIGARH: In denial mode on Murthal rapes, the Haryana Government today received a jolt after the Punjab and Haryana High Court was told that “witness” Amrik Singh had deposed before Parkash Singh panel, saying he had seen a “rush of young and older women” with their clothes in shreds.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

In denial mode on Murthal rapes, the Haryana Government today received a jolt after the Punjab and Haryana High Court was told that “witness” Amrik Singh had deposed before Parkash Singh panel, saying he had seen a “rush of young and older women” with their clothes in shreds.

A Division Bench was also told that state Director-General of Police KP Singh and Additional Chief Secretary Vijay Vardhan were present at the time of Amrik Singh’s deposition. This prompted the amicus curiae or the friend of the court Anupam Gupta to demand that Parkash Singh, KP Singh and Vardhan submitted affidavits on their interaction with the witness.

“Amrik Singh interacted with three committee members and told them that rapes had taken place in Murthal… Parkash Singh, KP Singh and Vijay Vardhan should be asked to file affidavits whether they had any interaction with Amrik Singh… Let them be summoned… I leave it to their conscience…,” a visibly upset Gupta said.

The state had been claiming that Amrik Singh was mum on the 'rapes'. In an affidavit filed by special investigating team head Mamta Singh, it was claimed that Murthal-based Sukhdev Dhaba owner Amrik Singh had said nothing.

Responding to the assertion in the affidavit placed before the Bench in a sealed cover, along with Part I of Parkash Singh panel report, Gupta said the SIT status report left him with the impression that the State of Haryana was back to square one. He said it had nothing new to add despite a month being given to the SIT chief. Referring to a report based on Parkash Singh's interview, Gupta said the latter, referring to the Murthal rapes, had said that “something very dishonourable happened there. And the local police definitely did try to bury it.” Gupta said Amrik Singh had told the panel that shawls and blankets were given to the women and they were taken away by the district SP and DC, who appeared magically 35 minutes after the women showed up.

Gupta said his own information was that the women were “almost naked”. An equally vociferous Advocate-General Lokesh Sinhal contended that the probe was on the right track.

Mamta Singh said Amrik Singh was interrogated for six hours. He virtually broke down but continued to deny the factum of rape. Just before the Bench left for lunch, the court witnessed a heated exchange between the amicus and the state counsel. The arguments remained inconclusive, compelling the court to fix the case for hearing on Wednesday.