SC for fair trial in Kathua rape-murder case

New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up Jammu lawyers for obstructing the filing of charge sheet in the Kathua minor rape and murder case even as they claimed they were protesting on a different issue.

"We are not concerned with anything, we are concerned with fair trial. You created a situation, police had to file the charge sheet at the residence of the magistrate," said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

The lawyers insisted that they were protesting on a different issue that got mixed up with the filing of the charge sheet

"Whatever may be the background (of the protest), the resultant action was wrong," Justice Misra said as the court was told that the protesting lawyers have retreated and assured that there would be no obstruction in the trial of the rape and murder of the eight-year-old victim from the Bakerwal community in Jammu’s Hiranagar area.

Asking all the parties to file their response about their incidence and the conduct of protesting lawyers, the court directed the matter for further on April 26.