Haryana Police added gang rape charges to the FIR in the infamous Murthal rape case which occurred during the Jat quota stir.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday castigated the Haryana Police for suppressing the facts pertaining to the alleged Murthal mass rapes.
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In another development the state government – which earlier denied that no rapes were reported during the Jat agitation – admitted to the possibility of rapes during the hearing.
The Haryana government was further embarrassed when the police, which had also earlier denied that no rapes took place during the nine-day Jat agitation, told the court that they were investigating complaints filed by alleged rape victims.
The charges have been added after three women have stated that they were raped in Murthal near Delhi during the peak of the violence in February.
Of the three, two women sent anonymous letters with details of the rapes that took place between February 21 and 22.
Senior lawyer Anupam Gupta, who is assisting the Punjab and Haryana high court as amicus curiae in the case, has said that he has an audio recording of the third girl from East Delhi. He has, however, not shared the evidence with the court for now.
One letter, sent by an Australian NRI, has been circulating on social media. The other, received by the Farida bad police, is from a girl living in a hostel who was allegedly raped while crossing NH-1.
This is the first time the cops have admitted to the seriousness of the alleged crimes committed at Murthal.
Mamta Singh, IGP (south range) and special investigation team head, submitted a status report before the Punjab and Haryana HC on Monday saying Section 376 (D) (gang rape) of the IPC has been added to the existing FIR.
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Meanwhile, a Chandigarhbased NGO, Haryana Human Rights has said it will file a contempt petition against former SIT chief Dr Rajshree as she misled the court and the media.
The court, which took a suo motu notice of the reports in the media about the mass rapes, had asked the Haryana government and police to submit a status report. At least 30 people were killed and over 320 injured in the nine-day long Jat agitation for reservation.