Jat stir: Three women police team to probe highway rapes

CHANDIGARH: Haryana government continued to be in denial mode on reports of gang rape during the Jat agitations early this week even as it has constituted a three-member all-women police team to investigate the alleged incident along the National Highway in Murthal.

State police on Friday maintained that it could not find any concrete evidence so far concerning the alleged incident of sexual assault of some women passengers near the highway in Murthal in the night of February 22.

"Already two senior officers of the state government, including a principal secretary and an inspector general of police, visited the spot of the incident and nearby areas, but no evidence of the occurrence could be found," director general of police YP Singal said.

When his attention was drawn towards the clothes of the alleged victims lying scattered on the spot, he said that these had been collected by the superintendent of police, Sonepat, and investigation was in under increasing pressure over the alleged incident first reported by a Chandigarh-based English daily.

On Friday, Punjab and Haryana High Court, too, took cognisance of the news item and directed chief judicial magistrates in districts to gather information leading to proof of the incident.

Additional chief secretary PK Das said the state government was serious about looking into the alleged incident and anyone found guilty would not be spared. He appealed to the people to cooperate and provide information without any fear as the identity of any informer would not be disclosed. progress. The state government is