The girls failed a polygraph test and witnesses also denied that the youths had ‘misbehaved’
Asserting that there was no ground to frame charges, a local court in Rohtak has discharged three youths accused of sexually harassing two sisters from Sonepat in a moving bus two years ago.
The two sisters, Aarti and Pooja, are studying in Gurugram at present. Their Counsel Attar Singh Pawar has said he will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a fresh trial in the case.
The girls were in the limelight in November, 2014, after a video of them thrashing two youths with a belt in a Haryana Roadways bus went viral. The girls alleged the boys misbehaved with them and asked them to vacate their seats. The incident led to huge public outcry over the safety of women and an outpouring of support for the sisters, who were hailed as ‘bravehearts’ for raising their voice.
During the course of the case, the court observed contradictions in the girls’ statements. In addition, a failed polygraph test and statements of co-passengers against the girls led to the court discharging the accused, Kuldeep, Mohit, and Deepak.
“From their (girls’) statements, it is clear that the real dispute arose because of the seat number,” the court stated in its judgment, which was made available on Monday. Pointing out the contradictions in statements recorded before the Magistrate, the court stated: “Neither in the complaint, nor in the statements, is it stated as to what type of words were used by the accused. So without actual analysis of the words, it is not prima facie proved that the accused did anything that can be covered under Section 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).”
Of the 19 independent witnesses, who were travelling in the bus at the time of the incident, only one, Parveen, supported the girls’ allegations. All other witnesses told the court that the accused were trying to convince the girls to vacate a seat that belonged to another passenger.
Passenger Vijeta, who made the video, said the girls handed over a mobile phone to her to record the entire incident. But she couldn’t unlock their phone and recorded the video on her own phone, which was later submitted in the court.
The girls’ father Rajesh Kumar said the police had not been supporting them. “Their morphed pictures and videos were being circulated but no police action was taken. Why this injustice when girls raise their voice?” he rued.
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