Rape victim in Nari Niketan\, Punjab and Haryana HC seeks report about probe status

Rape victim in Nari Niketan, Punjab and Haryana HC seeks report about probe status

The victim’s mother in an application Thursday, while seeking an earlier hearing date, informed the court that there is no other person to look after her and no purpose would be served in keeping her daughter at the Nari Niketan.

Written by Sofi Ahsan | Chandigarh | Published: May 29, 2020 1:34:11 am
haryana rape case, haryana rape accused, haryana rape victim, punjab and haryana high court, haryana rape victim in nari niketan, indian express news The court was also informed that a compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh has been issued in the name of the victim by the state following court orders. (File)

MORE THAN two months after a rape victim was sent to a Nari Niketan to protect her from the accused, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Thursday gave three days time to the SSP Jhajjar for a status report in the rape case and also warned of imposing exemplary costs on the officer in case of failure.

The victim, whose mother had approached the High Court in February for termination of the (victim’s) pregnancy, was abducted in March soon after she was discharged from the PGI following the procedure. Following court’s intervention, she was recovered from Bikaner and an accused was arrested. On March 19, the victim was sent to Nari Niketan in view of the circumstances and only her mother was allowed to meet her.

The victim’s mother had earlier approached the HC through legal aid counsel Sanjeev Sharma for the medical termination of pregnancy and the case was listed for hearing in July. The victim’s mother in an application Thursday, while seeking an earlier hearing date, informed the court that there is no other person to look after her and no purpose would be served in keeping her daughter at the Nari Niketan. The court was also informed that a compensation amount of Rs 3 lakh has been issued in the name of the victim by the state following court orders.

While adjourning the matter to June 4, Justice Mahabir Singh Sidhu said, “State counsel seeks some short accommodation to file necessary affidavit of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Jhajjar, in response to the order dated March 19, 2020 passed by this court. Liberty is granted to do the needful within three days from today”.

A rape case was registered in November 2019 in district Jhajjar. However, the accused was not arrested for months. When the court intervened following her abduction by the accused in February, it was also told that the police was pressuring the mother and the victim to withdraw the complaint against the accused.