Clear stand on Prakash Singh commission, high court directs Haryana govt

STATE’S PROBE INTO MURTHAL ‘GANGRAPES’ HAS HIT DEAD END, SAYS ANUPAM GUPTA

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday asked the Haryana government to clear its stand on the Prakash Singh panel report.

The high court bench of justice SS Saron and justice Shekher Dhawan sought the government’s response when senior advocate Anupam Gupta, who is assisting the court in the case, said there was lawlessness during the Jat quota protests in February. He said there were instances where officials colluded with protesters or fled and sought to know the action the government took on the panel’s report.

The panel of former Uttar Pradesh DGP that probed the role of officials during the protests submitted its report to the government in May. Indicted officials were transferred.

State additional advocate general Lokesh Sinhal told the court that action was being taken. But the court directed him to submit the state’s stand on the legality of the panel on the next hearing on August 19. The state government submitted the second volume of the panel’s report.

DEAD END ON MURTHAL ‘GANGRAPES’?

The probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the alleged Murthal gangrapes during the Jat quota stir appears to have hit a deadend. A sealed cover status report was filed by the SIT. The court and Gupta were dissatisfied with the report. “They have reached a deadend. The probe needs to be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation,” Gupta said.

Following leads, Sinhal said, the SIT contacted two families from Naina Devi but they denied any such incident.

The court asked the government for an action taken report on FIRs registered by Haryana Police during the Jat protest. “It is not pinching you. You are heartless. Are you people bothered, what people have gone through (in violence),” the court said as it was found that the state had not compiled any action taken report on lapsesin probing the 2,116 FIRs for the Jat quota violence.

Sinhal said 700 people were arrested and 2,129 FIRs registered. The court also adjourned hearing on a petition challenging quota for Jats till July 29.