SC comes to widow’s rescue

Though the incident had occured on February 12,1998,the widow continues to fight the battle to bring the culprits to book.

The apex court rejected the plea of the accused that since they were already acquitted by the sessions court,it was improper on the part of the high court to revert the matter back for “re-examining “ a certain hostile witness.” It was a touching scene at the court hall when the widow Madhu Sonkar in her late 30s with tears trickling down and folded hands appeared in person to implore the bench that the high court’s order should not be interfered with as the accused were highly influential.

“They have sent eight to ten persons to intimidate me not to pursue the case. Sir,I cannot keep running around the courts as I have my own little children to take care. I do not know the nitty gritty of court proceedings. But please sir,do do not interefere with what the High Court has done,” the woman pleaded.

Asked why she did not engage a lawyer,the widow said one of the advocates who had initially appeared for her in the case withdrew apparently under pressure.

The woman said her life was under constant threat from the accused.

She also turned down the plea of the Supreme Court for appointing some other lawyer but insisted that the high court order should not be interfere with.

The high court had earlier on the widow’s petition directed the sessions court to re-examine a certain witness who turned hostile after alleged disclosures that huge money was found transferred in his bank account.

According to Madhu Sonkar,her husband Raju Sonkar,was killed by a bomb planted in his Maruti car on February 12,1998,when he was preparing to take his children to school.

She alleged the blast was engineered at the behest of Kailash Sonkar,the then MLA,who had a financial dispute with the Deceased.