Supreme Court grants time to J&K Govt. in Anita's Case

By B.S. Billowria, Advocate

A Division Bench of the Supreme Court comprising of JJ Mr. Tarun Chaterjee and Mr. J.M. Panchal today allowed time to the parties to file Additional Affidavit in connection with the writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India filed by Panthers Party leaders namely, Anita Thakur, H.C. Jalmeria, Advocate and P.K. Ganjoo, Journalist against the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police, Inspector General of Police, Jammu Range, Additional SP/Reasi, Mr. Ashok Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Mr. Sanjeev Verma, S.S. Samyal, SHO/Katra, Mr. Samy Gill, Assistant Sub-Inspector and others.

On August 7, 2007 SHO/Reasi, ASI Gill and other police officers had assaulted the petitioners in full public view. A video film on the assault by the Katra police was screened inside the Supreme Court. This was the first occasion that a film was screened by the judges of the court.

Mr. Jalmeria's leg was broken by the police, Anita Thakur was taken into custody when she approached the police to stop firing and lathicharged on the innocent Talwara Migrants who were marching from Talwara to Delhi to seek implementation of the Supreme Court judgement. She was beaten, kicked, assaulted and then dragged like a gunny bag on the dusty road for half a kilometer. She was taken to the police lock-up by the SHO and the SHO and Mr. Samy Gill assaulted her inside the police station till she fell unconscious according to the petition she has filed.

Senior advocate Mr. K.K. Venugopal who led the battery of lawyers to argue the case for the petitioners submitted before the Supreme Court that the petitioners shall be filing additional affidavit. The Supreme Court directed that case should be registered for hearing after vacation. The court which closed shall reopen on July 7, 2008. Others advocates who appeared included Prof. Bhim Singh, Mr. B.S. Billowria, Mr. Priya Padmanabhan.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com