Ensure safety of witnesses, come up with a plan: SC asks Centre, states

The apex court today asked the Centre and states to frame a national witness protection programme, in view of growing threats to eyewitnesses.

New Delhi: In view of attacks on eyewitnesses in the Asaram sexual assault case, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre and the state governments to come up with a proper mechanism to ensure the safety of witnesses in the sensitive cases.

The apex court had in past asked the central government to frame a national witness protection programme, in view of growing threats to eyewitnesses.

The apex court passed the order while hearing a writ petition stemming from the Asaram case.

The order was passed after the apex court was informed that the security cover given to witnesses was decreasing while the cases were still on in lower courts. 

An apex court bench led by Justice AK Sikri was hearing a high-profile case where godman Asaram Bapu (Asumal Sirumalani) and son Narayan Sai have been accused of sexual assault on women followers of Asaram’s religious cult and offences under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly assaulting minor followers.

The controversial godman and his son Narayan Sai have been in judicial custody for the last four years on the sexual assault charges.

A criminal writ petition had been filed last year by several witnesses who feared for their safety after several other witnesses have been killed or have gone ‘missing’ since the investigations began and witnesses had come forward to testify against the self-styled godman and his son. 

A number of witnesses have been killed or ‘disappeared’ while the investigation into sensitive matters were still on and legal proceedings continued in different courts in India.