Agencies
Pathankot, June 4: Citing insufficient security arrangements to accommodate seven of the eight accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, the Punjab government on Monday refused to entertain the request of the Jammu and Kashmir police be shift them to a Pathankot jail.
The issue came up as daily hearing in the case of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community in Kathua resumed in the court of district and sessions judge Tejwinder Singh.
The counsel for the Jammu and Kashmir police Santokh Singh Basra withdrew the application after the Punjab government made its submission before the court. In its application moved on May 31, the J&K police sought to shift the accused to Pathankot as they have to travel 30km daily for in-camera trial from Kathua jail to Pathankot court.
The accused are called in the Pathankot court at 1.30pm and are sent back to Kathua after the hearing before 5pm daily.
ADGP (prisons) submitted in the court that it would not be possible for Punjab Police to provide security to the accused if they are lodged in Pathankot sub-jail.
The court also heard arguments on an anticipatory bail application moved by Ram Parsad Singh, chairman of Aakansha College, Mirapur (Uttar Pradesh), where Vishal Jangotra, the son of Sanji Ram, the main accused in the case, was studying. The court is likely to give its decision on the bail plea on Tuesday.
According to the chargesheet, Jangotra, a student of BSc (agriculture) at Aakansha College, Mirapur, was allegedly involved in the crime and later in connivance with Ram Prasad Singh, he allegedly manipulated the record to prove his presence in the college on the day the crime occurred.
Basra opposed the application contending that: "Singh helped Jangotra in fabricating and forging the attendance sheet regarding his presence in the examination held on January 12 and 15."
The in-camera trial began on May 31, three weeks after the Supreme Court ordered that the trial be shifted from Kathua to Pathankot. |
