Haryana Police files status report on Murthal rape allegations, says 'no such incident' took place

Chandigarh: Haryana Police on Monday filed its status report on the alleged rapes at Murthal in Sonipat district during the Jat agitation, saying no such incident took place.

The status report was filed before a division bench of Justices SK Mittal and HS Sidhu.

The status report filed by police "denied the charges of molestation and gang-rape during the intervening night of February 22/23 at Murthal in Sonipat district."

The division bench adjourned the case to March 14.

The High Court had taken suo motu note of the matter after a report in a local daily on the alleged rapes.

The bench had appointed senior advocate Anupam Gupta as amicus curiae to assist the court in this matter.

During the course of the hearing, ADGP Law and Order Mohd Akil and Head of the three-member women police officers probing the allegations DIG Rajshree Singh were also present.

Days after allegations of rape and molestation by Jat quota agitators near Haryana's Murthal, a woman yesterday came forward and registered a case of gangrape against seven persons, including her brother-in-law, in connection with the incident.

"An FIR has been lodged against seven persons in connection with a gangrape on the basis of a complaint filed by a Narela-based woman," Haryana Police, DIG, Rajshree Singh had said.

She said the victim had alleged she was raped on the intervening night of February 22-23 and the perpetrators included her brother-in-law.

The officer, who heads a three-member team of women police officers constituted by the Haryana government to go into alleged incidents of rape and molestation of several women by Jat protesters, however, said a "family dispute" could be the reason behind the woman filing the complaint.

The officer said the victim was not sure about the exact scene of the crime but claimed she was raped in a building near Murthal when she was on way to Narela in Delhi from Haridwar in a van.