“I have seen this happening with my own eyes. The hooligans attacked the women and girls and tore off their clothes. Some were chased into the fields, some were dragged”
Three truckers claim that Jat agitators molested women before taking them to the fields; police say no clue yet.
Sonipat : Though most witnesses have turned hostile and backtracked on their claims, three truck drivers have claimed that they witnessed women being dragged and molested by Jat agitators in Murthal, even as a team of women police officers visited the site of alleged gang rapes on Saturday but said no eyewitness or victim had turned up before it.
Speaking to mediapersons, the three men – Sukhwinder Singh, Niranjan and Naresh Kumar – claimed that the agitators torched their trucks in Murthal, over 50 km from Delhi, and assaulted them following which they hid in the bushes to save themselves. They alleged that they saw the attackers “dragging women out of vehicles, tearing their clothers and molesting them” before taking the victims towards the fields.
Singh alleged that “policemen in plain clothes” were putting pressure on them to remain silent about the incident. The development came on a day the women police officers team led by DIG Dr Rajshree Singh and comprising DSPs Bharti Dabas and Surinder Kaur visited the site at village
Hassanpur near Murthal in Sonipat district on Delhi Ambala National Highway to gather first hand information about the alleged incident.Rajshree Singh maintained that till Saturday evening no victim or eyewitness had come forward to provide details.
Asked about recovery of some clothes belonging to women, she told reporters, “These had been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination”. “Let us see, what comes out,” she told reporters Rajshree Singh said, “Two truck drivers – one each from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir – have contacted us.” “But both have denied seen any such thing (alleged rape of women stuck on the National Highway near Murthal),” the DIG said.
She said that both of them told the team that they got stuck between 10-11 am on that day.”Between 1-2 pm their trucks were burnt and during this period both did not see any such thing,” the DIG claimed.
The DIG said that a woman called up to tell the team that she would visit them personally tomorrow. “We are waiting for her to come tomorrow,” she added. Asked about the claims of the three truck drivers about seeing the attack, she said all those people who have any information should come to the police.”Anyone who has concrete proof of the incident, should without any fear approach the team. We will protect them and their identity will not be disclosed,” she said.
Asked about the issue, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said “a special investigation team has been formed to look into the matter and has been directed to take each and every complaint coming to them. “I don’t understand why the eye witnesses and the victims are not coming forward. No eyewitness has contacted the police yet, they should inform the police about the incident.”
The police team visited Sukhdev ‘dhaba’, the eatery which was also attacked by the agitators and spoke to a number of people in the area. Meanwhile, the DIG’s mobile number given in the press release issued after presser by DGP Y P Singal last evening has turned out to be wrong and the same belonged to a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Asked about it, she said that the correct number would be put out.
