NEW DELHI -- The Haryana government has denied a media report that at least 10 women were allegedly raped near the National Highway in Murthal during the Jat agitation in the early hours of Monday morning.
Meanwhile, Justice N.K. Sanghi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has written to the acting Chief Justice, Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, recommending a probe by a “premier investigating agency" into the alleged incident.
An official spokesperson said that Principal Secretary Devender Singh and Inspector General of Police Paramjit Ahlawat visited the area today, and they established that no such crime had occurred.
The state government described the media reports as "totally false, misleading and not based on facts."
The Tribune reported today at least 30 goons attacked commuters heading to the National Capital Region, and set their vehicles on the fire, but women who could not flee were pulled out, stripped and raped in the fields nearby NH1.
The Tribune spoke to witnesses who confirmed this account, but they said that the local police had urged the families of those who were attacked to keep quiet for the "the sake of their honour," and not to pursue the matter since “what had happened could not be undone."
"There was no rape, no victim and no complaint," Inspector Ajay Kumar, who is based in Murthal, told HuffPost India.
Addressing a press conference in Hisar, the state's top cop, Y.P. Singal, described the report as "false." “I still want to request to everyone that if something has happened, then come to the police," he said.
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