HP court admits woman’s appeal in Badoli case

Sessions Judge, Solan, Arvind Malhotra today admitted an appeal filed on behalf of a gang rape victim challenging a lower court’s order on accepting the cancellation report filed by the Kasauli police on March 12 in a case in which the Haryana BJP president and a singer are the accused.

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The Kasauli police had booked Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal, alias Jai Bhagwan, on charges of gang rape and criminal intimidation on a complaint filed by a woman on December 13, 2024, nearly a year and a half after the alleged crime took place on July 3, 2023.

Appearing on behalf of the victim, advocates AS Gujral, Manjot Gujral and Gaurav Charaya pleaded that the Kasauli court had accepted the cancellation report submitted by the investigating officer without securing the presence of the complainant and without granting her an opportunity to file her objections.

It was further stated in the appeal that it was necessary for the magistrate to have sent the final report to the special court, which alone was competent for holding the trial. The victim has sought to set aside the orders of the lower court, dated March 12, wherein the cancellation report was accepted.

“While listing the case for April 22, the sessions court has sought the record of the lower court,” said AS Gujral.

The victim had claimed in her complaint to the police that she was forced to consume liquor and raped. The duo also videographed her in a compromising state, besides clicking her obscene pictures, she had claimed.

The Kasauli police had filed a cancellation report in the case before the local court on February 4. The woman was asked to appear before the court on March 6 and March 12, but she failed to do so and on March 12, the Kasauli court accepted the police’s cancellation report.