Moga molestation case: HC questions Badal govt on compensation to girl's family

NEW DELHI: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday questioned the Punjab government about the compensation and job promised to the family of a girl who died after being allegedly molested and thrown off a bus belonging to a company owned by the deputy chief minister in Moga district last month.
The state has been asked to file an affidavit on whether the compensation and job will be offered by the government or by the company that owned the bus. If the government is offering the compensation and job, it has to state under which scheme they are being provided.

The court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the Moga molestation incident, resumed hearing of a public interest litigation in the matter today. The case was taken up following a letter to the chief justice of the high court by a senior citizen on the incident.

A 13-year-old girl was allegedly molested and thrown off a bus belonging to Orbit Aviation Ltd, a company owned by deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, on April 29.

In an apparent attempt to wriggle out the Badals' family from the litigation, Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) filed an affidavit submitting that the bus owner in Nirbhaya case was not tried in the rape and murder case.