New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved
its judgement on the culpability of 98 dominant Jat community
men for allegedly burning alive a 70-year-old Dalit along with
his physically challenged daughter in their Mirchpur village
in Hissar district of Haryana last year.
Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau tentatively
fixed August 20 for her judgement in the case.
"Put up for orders on August 20," the court said.
The court had on March 11 this year framed charges
against 98 men for the killing of the Dalit father-daughter
duo, terming the dominant Jat community as "aggressor" and
Dalits as "sufferers" in the incident.
The court had framed charges under various provisions
of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled
Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The penal provisions, with which the accused have been
charged, relate to the offences of murder, rioting, making
unlawful assembly, promoting enmity between different
communities, physical assault, creating mischief and damaging
public property, besides the conspiracy to commit the crime.
The case, which is related to killing of Tara Chand
and his physically-challenged daughter Suman on April 21 last
year, allegedly by a mob of over 100 people, was transferred
by the Supreme Court for trial by a designated special court
in Delhi under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989,
to ensure a free and fair trial.
After the April 21 incident, about 150 Dalits had fled
from Mirchpur village.
PTI
