Trial proceedings won’t be uploaded now, rules court

COUNSEL OF ALL SEVEN ACCUSED CONCLUDED ARGUMENTS ON WEDNESDAY, JUDGE’S ORDER LIKELY TODAY

PATHANKOT: District and sessions judge Dr Tejwinder Singh, hearing the Kathua rape and murder case, passed an order on Wednesday that from tomorrow proceedings of the trial will not be uploaded on the internet. The order came after one of the Jammu-based advocates, representing the rape and murder accused, pleaded gainst the uploading of daily proceedings on the internet.

The Jammu-based lawyer objected that the Supreme Court had ordered an “in-camera” trial of the case and the trial proceedings should not be uploaded on the internet so that witnesses could feel protected and those who are accused should feel safe while in the court.

Advocates had claimed that in legal parlance ‘in-camera’ proceedings are a process where the public and press are not allowed know about the proceedings .

‘In-camera’ is the opposite to the routine trial in an open court where parties and witnesses testify in the court in the presence of their lawyers.

Defence counsel of all the seven accused concluded their arguments on Wednesday.

From the prosecution’s side, special public prosecutor Santokh Singh Basra and JK Chopra finished their arguments a few days ago.

The judge is likely to pronounce his order on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the tight security remained in place near the court where senior superintendent of police (SSP) Pathankot Vivek Sheel Soni is personally monitoring the area on daily basis.

The accused, who are brought daily from Kathua to Pathankot, are being guarded by the Punjab Police after they enter the Punjab border at Madhopur.

“We are always in touch with our Jammu and Kashmir counterparts and various agencies to keep security arrangements intact,” SSP Soni said.