Murthal gangrape: Police submit report in sealed cover

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

The Haryana Police submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court a report on suspected gangrapes in Murthal during Jat protests for reservation and requested the court to keep it sealed to protect identity of victims.

The high court favoured sending more than 2,000 FIRs registered in the case to trial magistrates for monitoring, but the case’s amicus curiae asked the court to do so itself, arguing that magistrates would not be in a position to discharge the responsibility.

A Special Investigation Team inquiring into the case claimed to have examined 153 persons, including Amrik Singh, the owner of Murthal’s renowned Sukhdev Dhaba, during its investigations.

The court has asked SIT for its report on the case's next hearing on May 30.

The court took suo moto cognizance of media reports that claimed that women were raped in Murthal on NH-1 during the violent protests in February. (With agency inputs)