SC Moves Kathua Case Trial To Pathankot; Rejects CBI Probe

In a heartening move, the Supreme Court bench has moved the Kathua rape and murder case trial from Jammu and Kashmir High Court to Pathankot in Punjab on Monday as sought by the parents of the victim. Along with this, the bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra has rejected the plea of the opposition who asked for a CBI probe in the case.

The bench plans to monitor the case as it alerted all other courts to stay off this case. It has even permitted the J&K Govt. to appoint a public prosecutor for this case.

The victim’s family had requested the apex court to shift the case from Jammu and Kashmir to some other state as they said that the state had the atmosphere of ‘surcharge’ and it was the ‘epicentre’ of a movement supporting the accused. The bench also directed to execute the trial hearings held every day on camera. This would allow the witnesses to depose freely and without fear and that trials will not have any unnecessary adjournments. It further imposed to translate the trial papers from Urdu to English to facilitate the Pathankot court.

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The bench plans to monitor the case as it alerted all other courts to stay off this case. It has even permitted the J&K govt. to appoint a public prosecutor for this case.

The accused including two police officials from Jammu had pleaded for a CBI probe into the case, but the SC has rejected the plea. They said that the state crime branch have falsely implicated them in the case.

The accused along with the state court have protested against the SC’s decision. They believe that the logistics of trial would be a bit too much and assured a fair trial inside the state. Noted lawyer, Indira Jaisingh appeared for the family of the victim and opted against shifting the case to a nearby place as she feared disruption in proceedings since it was the ‘epicentre of the movement to protect the accused’.

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