Gangrape trial: Witness says he feels harassed by defence questioning

He is employed with a private company that patrols NH-8 connecting Delhi and Gurgaon and reportedly provides help to accident victims. He was also the first person to have made the PCR call on December 16.

The witness said he was unhappy with the way advocate V K Anand,on behalf of accused Mukesh,was questioning him regarding his activities on the night of December 16.

The defence lawyer wanted to know if the witness had provided any help to the victims,what help did he extend,what made him realise it was a police case and why did he not call for an ambulance.

“This is why ordinary people do not come forward to depose in such matters,” the witness said,in response to Anand’s questions.

ASJ Khanna then advised the defence counsel to ask questions calmly. “Give the witness an opportunity to answer them. You should not unnecessarily ask questions. Don’t ask questions simply for the sake of asking,” he said.

Special Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan said the defence counsel had “no right to shout at or intimidate the witness”.

The witness deposed before the court that he and his colleague,while patrolling their allotted sections of NH-8,heard cries for help. On checking,they found the victim and her friend on a service road on the side of the highway.

He further told the court that they had provided clothes to the two victims,who were naked,and bleeding. They then informed their control room and subsequently informed the PCR.

Meanwhile,the defence counsel requested the court to defer the cross-examination of victim’s friend,also the complainant in the case,as they were planning to file a review petition against the Supreme Court’s order,which prohibits defence lawyers from asking any questions pertaining to a TV interview he had given to a news channel.