Haryana Additional Advocate General Naveen Kaushik was asked to resign on Wednesday after he was accused of helping the counsel of a man allegedly involved in the killing of 17-year-old Junaid Khan on a train in June, Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan said.
Media reports
In his explanation to Mr. Mahajan, Mr. Kaushik denied assisting the counsel of the accused.
Mr. Mahajan had sought an explanation from Mr. Kaushik following media reports alleging that he had provided assistance to the defence counsel of the prime accused in the Junaid murder case.
“After media reports, I sought an explanation from him [Mr. Kaushik], to which he replied that he is associated with an organisation working for promotion of different Indian languages. He [Mr. Kaushik] said he had supplied material to the counsel concerned in the case but did not assist him,” Mr. Mahajan told journalists here.
“Since he [Mr. Kaushik] admitted that he went to the [Faridabad] court and supplied documents to the counsel, I told him that it is a case in which the State is a party and that he must tender his resignation,” the Advocate General said, adding he has recommended that the government accept the resignation.
“His [Mr. Kaushik’s] assistance to the counsel is not justified, even though he submitted that he did not assist in the case. However, the [Faridabad] court observed that he was present during the hearing,” Mr. Mahajan said.
Interim order
Additional District and Sessions Judge Faridabad Y. S. Rathore had in an interim order on October 25 reportedly stated that Mr. Kaushik was assisting the counsel of the main accused, Naresh Kumar, during cross-examination of prosecution witnesses.
Junaid was stabbed to death on a Mathura-bound train on the way back home Khandawli village along with his brothers after shopping for Id in Delhi.