Judge seeks info on security of accused

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, August 13

Pathankot District and Sessions Judge Dr Tejwinder Singh, who is presiding over the trial in the Kathua rape-murder case, on Monday ordered Deputy Commissioner Ramvir to provide details of security being provided to the seven accused by Tuesday.

The judge asked Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Jagdeeshwar Kumar Chopra to get in touch with the DC and apprise him of the order.

Dr Tejwinder passed the order after SSP Vivek Sheel Soni had moved an application on August 10 through SPPs Santokh Singh Basra and Chopra, seeking handcuffing of the accused.

The SSP had sought the handcuffing “as the case is high profile and a lot of media interest is being generated.” The SSP had denied that he had sought directions on the basis of any particular input pertaining to the security of the accused.

The accused are brought daily to Pathankot from the Gurdaspur Central Jail, where they are lodged. Personnel from the Pathankot and Gurdaspur police districts escort them from the jail to the court and back.

The DC will now ask the SSP to provide him the details as it was the latter who had signed the document for transferring the custody of the undertrials from the J&K Police to the Punjab Police. The case had been transferred in May from Kathua to Pathankot on the directions of the Supreme Court.

“The DC is the administrative head of the police in a district. That is why the judge has sought comments from him before he takes a final decision on the application on Tuesday,” Chopra said.

He said the SC order made it clear that undertrials could not be handcuffed. “However, if the court grants permission, the police can handcuff the accused both outside and inside the court,” Chopra said.