Video statement of Murthal 'mass rape victim' played in court
Authorities in Haryana watched a video statement from an alleged victim of the mass sexual assaults in Murthal village, behind closed doors on Wednesday.
The alleged attacks were reported in February during a violent campaign by the Jat community demanding government quota.
Anupam Gupta, amicus curiae, or friend of the court, played the clips in the presence of high court justices and the head of a special investigation team (SIT), on a day the police submitted a report on the suspected gang-rapes and asked the judges to keep it sealed to protect the victims’ identities.
Protests by the Jat community back in February allegedly formed the backdrop to multiple rapes in Murthal, Haryana. (File picture)
Officials are examining media reports saying vehicles were stopped on national highway 1 near Murthal in Sonepat district during the pro-reservation movement, and women dragged out and raped.
Images of underwear scattered on the fields were widely circulated on social networking sites and pointed to as proof.
“I cannot share what happened inside but the biggest development in the case is that the court has accepted the evidence and has termed it as 'input',” Gupta said.
“I have not handed over the clips yet but have given consent to share the same with the SIT.”
Citing legal bindings, he refused to disclose information about the videos and his findings.
The protests demanding reservation in government jobs and education turned violent as mobs burnt buildings, blocked highways, damaged cars and even attacked a canal, cutting off the water supply to Delhi.
SIT in-charge Mamta Singh submitted the sealed status report in the court. The next hearing of the case will take place on May 30.
“She (the SIT chief) had requested the court to accept the sealed report stating that it may get leaked or create problems. The court accepted the report and is satisfied with the progress of the SIT probe now,” Haryana’s additional advocate general Lokesh Singhal said.
A key witness in the gang-rapes case, Bobby Joshi, who also appeared in court, told Mail Today that he was scared of revealing details initially and has much more to say to investigators.
He said that besides a victim from Ludhiana, whom he knows personally, some women from HP had shared with him details of their horrific experiences in Murthal.
