New Delhi: Senior police officers held in
connection with the alleged rape and murder of two women in
Shopian on Friday moved the Supreme Court seeking stay of the
Jammu and Kashmir High Court order directing their arrest
and collection of blood samples for preparing the DNA profile.
The petition filed by Superintendent of Police Javed
Iqbal Mattoo and Deputy SP Rohit Baskotra was mentioned before
a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan which decided
to give a hearing on Monday.
The other two police officers, who were suspended and
later arrested on the basis of July 15 order of the High
Court, were SHO Shafiq Ahmed and Sub-inspector Gazi Abdul
Rehman.
Senior advocate Pravin Parekh, who appeared for Mattoo
and Baskotra, said the matter was serious and needs to be
heard on an urgent basis as the High Court has passed the
order that their bail plea could be heard only by the Bench
which delivered the order on July 15.
"The matter is serious because the High Court Bench
has observed that it is with the special investigating team
and with the people of Jammu and Kashmir," Parekh said.
The police officers, who challenged the High Court
order said it was passed against them without making them
party in the PIL filed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar
Association in connection with the alleged rape and murder
Neelofar Jan and Aasiya Jan at Shopian.
Bureau Report
