New Delhi: The Supreme Court today slammed
Haryana government for delay in arresting 60 accused in the
killing of two Dalits and torching of houses allegedly by
upper caste people at Mirchpur village of Hissar district and
said the authorities will have to answer more questions.
"We will ask you (state government) more questions on the
issue," a Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K
Ganguly said when Haryana government said it has arrested all
the accused in compliance with its August 26 order.
The Bench said it will ask questions to authorities as
they swung into action only after the intervention of the apex
court.
"Why did you arrest the culprits pursuant to the order
of this court and not before,?" the Bench said adding it would
like to know from where the accused persons were arrested.
"From where did you arrest the accused? From their
village or from your own state or from Rajasthan or Punjab",
the Bench said when the state government counsel submitted
that all the 60 accused have been arrested and it has taken
necessary steps to supply two quintals of rice to the
affected family in compliance with its orders.
While concluding the hearing, the Bench said "these are
age-old problems prevalent in large areas of the country and
it will take time to change".
It asked the counsel for victims Collin Gonsalves to
respond to the report of Harayana government.
The Bench wanted to fix an early hearing but the state
government`s counel sought eigh weeks time as a cooling up
period.
However, the Bench said all the required replies and
rejoinders have to be completed within four weeks and posted
the matter for October 25.
The Supreme Court had on August 26 directed the
Haryana government to make all possible efforts to arrest
by September 10 all the accused involved in the April 21
incident in which 150 houses belonging to Dalits were set on
fire.
-PTI
