Truck drivers deny seeing alleged rape of women at Murthal

Chandigarh: Three truck drivers on Sunday denied having witnessed any incident of alleged molestation or rape of women during the pro-quota Jat agitation at Murthal in Sonipat district, Haryana police said.

"Three truck drivers have denied that they had seen molestation or rape of women (at Murthal)," Haryana Police, DIG, Rajshree Singh said today.

Truck drivers Sukhwinder, Abdul Wahid and Yadwinder have, however, said that their trucks were burnt by agitators.

A team of three women police officers --DIG Rajshree Singh, DSPs Bharti Dabas and Surinder Kaur was formed by Haryana government "to gather information concerning the alleged incident of sexual assault on some women near Murthal on the intervening night of February 22 and 23."

DIG said instructions have been issued that as and when any complainant comes forward an FIR must be registered.

On Saturday, women police officers had 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.

Meanwhile, Sonepat SP Abhishek Garg said three witnesses to the incident as reported by a section of media were also "verified at various levels" and they had said that no incident of sexual assault or rape took place at Murthal, over 50 km from Delhi.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Saturday asked people to share information, if they have any, with the state police regarding the alleged incident.