Murthal alleged gangrapes: HC asks for call details of cops

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday asked the Haryana government to provide call detail records (CDRs), with tower locations of mobile operators, of key police officers posted in Sonepat region during the alleged Murthal gang rapes in February 2016.

The division bench of justice AK Mittal and justice AS Grewal gave the directions while resuming hearing in a petition the court initiated on its own following a news report on the alleged rapes during pro-quota protests by the Jat community in the state.

A special investigation team (SIT) probe, following an FIR by Haryana police in March 2016, into the alleged rapes has not been able to find any victim or witness.

Senior advocate Anupam Gupta, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, said he had CDRs of then inspector general of police, superintendent of police, deputy commissioner, deputy superintendent of police, and station house officer of Murthal (Sonepat) for the period between February 19-20 and February 22.

He told the court the details shared, however, did not have tower locations of mobile operators, thus making the examination of call records a futility.

Gupta also sought call details of two more officers, then deputy superintendent of police (traffic), Sonepat, Sushil Kumar and then sub-divisional magistrate, Nishant Kumar Yadav.

Gupta sought the details to ascertain the role of the officials, arguing that half-an-hour after the alleged rapes took place, senior officers showed up at Sukhdev Dhaba, an eatery on the Chandigarh–Delhi highway, and escorted the victims to the Delhi border.

Gupta is pressing for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the case.

The next hearing is on April 18.