Chandigarh, May 30: Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered a CBI probe into the alleged sexual exploitation of three women at Amritsar in which six persons have been arrested and some judicial and high ranking police officials are also allegedly involved. A division bench comprising Chief Justice B K Roy and Justice V M Jain gave the directions on receipt of statements of the three women complainants, who had earlier lodged a complaint with the Punjab Human Right Organisation (PHRO).
The complainants had alleged that certain judicial and high-ranking police officers were also involved in the racket.
The bench directed superintendent of police (SP) Amritsar to hand over all the documents relating to the case to the CBI by this evening. The CBI has been directed to complete the probe expeditiously. The statements of the three alleged victims were recorded by an Amritsar-based judicial officer at the directions of the bench yesterday, which had also directed director general of police, Punjab to take all steps to ensure the safety of the women.
The six arrested include Hari Om Dhanuka, managing director of a franchise firm of Siti Cable, Amritsar and cable chairman Sarabjit Singh Raju.
Raju's wife Dolly Sarabjit Singh has denied the allegation saying the case was registered to pressurise them to give up the franchisee of Siti Cable. Her husband has been made a target out of business rivalry, she claimed. Punjab Police sources said here that the three women have been provided two male and female constables each adding that all steps were being taken to ensure their safety.
The women had complained to the PHRO, which sent a letter to the high court, which was converted into a public interest litigation (PIL). The PHRO had alleged that the police concentrated on allegations against Siti Cable franchisees and ignored certain other influential persons, including judicial and police officers, allegedly involved in the scandal. Bureau Report