Murthal gang rape case judge being pressurised: HC

Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday said that a Sonepat court judge conducting trial in the case of alleged gang rapes during February 2016 Jat quota stir in Murthal is being “pressurised”.

As the hearing in suo motu petition on the February 2016 violence began on Tuesday morning, the high court bench of justice SS Saron and justice Darshan Singh stunned all with the observations that the court had been told of the trial court judge, Gagan Geet Kaur, additional district and sessions judge, Sonepat being “pressurised”. The court did not name anybody nor elaborated on as to what was told to the judge.

“Don’t pressurise that poor lady… This case has proven to be a disaster for that girl,” said the high court bench.

Taken aback over the observation, Haryana’s additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta sought to know as to who was behind it and demanded that he should be called and taken to task.

“Nobody is above the law,” Mehta said demanding that if not judicial side, the matter be taken up the administrative side by the high court.

The Haryana government constituted special investigation team headed by inspector general of police (IGP) Mamta Singh had registered an FIR of gang rape in April 2016. The section of gang rape was added against five youths arrested in other quota violence related FIRs. However, in September 2016, section of gang rape was dropped against them. All five are now out on bail.

Gagan Geet Kaur in her two reports to high court in 2016 had slammed the manner probe was being conducted by SIT and had termed it “eyewash”.