P’kula man moves HC, seeks action against Sonepat sisters

The controversy over the contradictory versions of the accused and the complainants in the Sonepat sisters case seems to be refusing to die down. Now, a Panchkula resident has moved the Punjab and Haryana high court demanding action against the girls for beating up the boys in a bus.

The petition came up for hearing last week with the bench of justice Ajay Tewari telling the petitioner that his case was based on hearsay and media reports.

But, the petitioner insisted on his point following which he was given two months to substantiate his claims.

PETITIONER GETS TWO MONTHS TO PROVE CASE

“I pointed out to the petitioner that the entire material in support of his petition consists of hearsay and media reports, he was given two months to prove his case,” the high court bench has recorded in its order on the petition wherein the petitioner had sought direction to the Haryana government to take action against the Sonepat sisters. The case has been adjourned for February 24 for next hearing.

It is the first such petition in favour of the accused boys. Two other petitions filed earlier before the high court following the incident had sought directions to Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab to act against crime against women.

The petitioner, Arun Grover, who works with a public sector unit in Chandigarh, appeared before the bench in person last week. He denied that he knew the accused boys.

“I filed the petition to bring out the truth. It’s not always that boys are at fault. It could be other way around as well,” said, 44-year-old Grover. Grover, in his petition, has stated that he saw reports about the incident and later developments where the integrity of the girls was ‘found doubtful’ on television.

Grover has argued that the government faced vilification from the public and media on the announcement of reward for the girls. “Since all the witnesses have denied all the facts narrated by the girls, prima facie, it makes a fit case of false FIR against the boys,” he has stated in his petition, seeking quashing of the FIR and further directing the government to register an FIR against the girls under relevant sections.

The video of two sisters thrashing three men, who were allegedly harassing them in a Haryana roadways bus in Rohtak, went viral and resulted in national outrage. Police registered an first-information report against the accused boys. Later, some witnesses denounced the girls’ theory, which made the case murkier. After the incident came to light, the army reportedly slammed the doors on two accused who had qualified for army jobs.