Malerkotla murder: Notice to Centre on CBI probe

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday issued a notice of motion to the central government for filing its reply as it had failed to issue a notification with regard to handing over of the probe in the Vidhu Jain murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday issued a notice of motion to the central government for filing its reply as it had failed to issue a notification with regard to handing over of the probe in the Vidhu Jain murder case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The directions came from the court headed by justice Jitendra Chauhan.

HT Image

Vidhu, 11, was burnt alive in broad daylight in Malerkotla on September 30 last year. His mother Aarti Jain had alleged that on September 30, 2013, he was burnt alive by five Muslim youths by pouring kerosene on him. The boy had died at Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana. The FIR in the case was registered the same day at the city police station, Malerkotla.

The petitioner had also made a prayer for the protection of her life and liberty, along with that of the Jain community, that is nearly 2,500-strong in the Malerkotla area. She alleged in her petition that the Muslim community, that has a strength of more than 80,000 in the area, had been targeting the Jain community members in the past.

The petitioner has sought directions to the authorities concerned to investigate the alleged role of police officials who had not probed the case properly.

The case would now come up for hearing on October 31.