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BJP govt orders case shut against
VHP goons
WSN Network
JAIPUR:
The Hindu
right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Rajasthan has
refused sanction to prosecute 14 Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)
activists, accused of attacking a Christian priest here a year ago.
It has ordered the closure of police investigation while asking the
trial court to accept a previous charge sheet as valid.
A gang of 20 VHP
activists, led by its Jaipur unit general secretary Virendra Singh
Ravana, allegedly attacked Pastor Walter Masih in his prayer room –
situated barely one km away from the Chief Minister’s official
residence here – on April 29 last and ransacked his house. The
priest was allegedly thrashed with lathis and rods and left
profusely bleeding.
Police arrested
14 accused and registered a case against them under six sections of
the Indian Penal Code, relating to rioting, causing hurt, house
trespass and causing damage. The prosecution filed a charge sheet
against the accused in the trial court in August 2007, but informed
the court that the charge sheet was incomplete as the probe under
some other charges was pending.
Police added IPC
Sections 153-A (hate speech), 295-A (insulting a religion or
religious beliefs) and 505(3) (offensive statements made at a place
of worship) to the charges against the accused during investigation
and sought the State government’s sanction for prosecution as
required by Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The accused
were released on bail by the Rajasthan High Court after its denial,
first by the trial court and later by the Sessions Court, on the
basis of prima facie evidence produced against them.
The in-charge of
Sodala police station has now informed the trial court that the
State government has refused sanction for prosecution of the
accused under the new IPC sections and the investigation in the
case has been closed in compliance with an order of the
Superintendent of Police.
The government’s
order has not specified any ground for denial of sanction.
Interestingly, the District Magistrate is empowered to give
sanction under Sec. 505(3) without referring it to the government.
The government’s sanction is needed for prosecution under Sec. 153-A
and 295-A. Civil rights groups have registered a strong protest
against the government’s decision and have accused the BJP-led
government of pursuing a policy to intimidate religious minorities.
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They were accused of attacking a Christian priest
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Investigation in the case has been closed
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Civil rights groups register strong protest
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30
April 2008
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