SC stays bail to 3 law students in Jindal university gang rape case

The Punjab and Haryana HC on September 13 suspended their sentence, released them on bail and gave them liberty to move the court if they wanted to study abroad.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the bail granted to three former OP Jindal Global University students by the Punjab and Haryana high court in a gang rape case.

A view of Supreme Court in New Delhi.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The three men were earlier jailed for raping a fellow student but the high court suspended their conviction in September on the ground that the woman was “promiscuous” and had “casual sexual escapades”.

A top court bench of Justices SA Bobde and MM Shantanagoudar issued notice on the girl’s appeal challenging the high court order that passed remarks against her character.

“Until further orders there shall be stay of the impugned judgement and orders passed by the high court,” the SC said.

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves assailed the ruling. He told the bench that the trial court order had imposed jail term on the three men but the high court suspended it in one stroke and made unwarranted remarks against the girl.

On May 24 this year a trial court in Sonepat had convicted the former students of the university and sentenced the main accused Hardik Sikri and his friend Karan Chhabra for 20 years each for gang-raping and blackmailing a junior management student for about two years. The third accused, Vikas Garg, was handed a seven-year jail term.

On an appeal by the trio the high court on September 13 suspended their sentence, released them on bail and gave them liberty to move the court if they wanted to study abroad.

In her appeal, the woman said the HC selectively placed reliance on statement she gave to the court during the trial to pass comments on her character.