HC looks at judicial officers’ alleged role in sex scandal

In a major instance of judicial activism, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today took cognisance of the alleged sexual exploitation of thre...

In a major instance of judicial activism, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today took cognisance of the alleged sexual exploitation of three girls in Amritsar by influential persons, including politicians and judicial officers.

Following up on a report first published in the Chandigarh edition of The Indian Express, the court directed the sessions judge of Amritsar to depute a judicial officer to record immediately the statements of the girls, who are former employees of a cable operator.

The sessions judge has been asked to send the statements through a special messenger by tomorrow morning, when the matter will again be taken up.

The Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Binod Kumar Roy, sitting in a division bench with Justice V M Jain, ordered the DGP of Punjab to ensure the safety of the girls concerned.

Converting a letter from the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) into a PIL, the court also made The Indian Express, The Times of India, the CBI, the state of Punjab, through its home secretary and Punjab DGP, and the three girls as parties to the case.

The two judicial officers who thus figure in the PIL are Additional Civil Judge of Nawanshahr, K B Raheja and Judicial Magistrate Rajiv Kalra.

The high court’s intervention comes a day after The Indian Express, on Justice Roy’s communication, handed over a video and two audio tapes to him substantiating the alleged involvement of judicial officers in the Amritsar sex scandal.

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Justice Roy was also in touch with the PHRO which alleged in its letter that the police had developed cold feet once the names of some serving and retired judicial officers had surfaced during their investigations into the sex scandal. During the court proceedings, advocate R.S. Bains representing PHRO stated that the girls were under threat and he undertook to produce the girls for the purpose of recording their statement.

The Chief Justice observed that the police officers and judicial officers allegedly involved in the scandal were answerable for their conduct under the rules and they would face the consequences if they had breached them. ‘‘It is a serious matter. I cannot shut my eyes,’’ he added.

In the letter treated as the PIL, Justice Ajit Singh Bains (retd), chairman, PHRO, had stated that the Amritsar unit of the PHRO had submitted a complaint to SSP Amritsar on May 22 saying that serious allegations against Siti Cable operators had been supressed due to their influence with police and judicial officers for years. On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was registered.

Justice Bains alleged that the police focussed only on the activities of Sarabjit Singh Raju, named in the FIR. At least two girls had said that the police did not record that portion of their statements in which they had named officers or their description. Justice Bains further alleged that the girls were told to speak only about Raju and his accomplice and not to involve any police or judicialofficer.

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He further aleged that the names of two judicial officers had come out in the affidavit given by one of the girls.

The letter names Rajiiv Kalra and K.B. Raheja besides retired Additional Sesions Judge I.C. Agarwal.