Chandigarh:
Days after announcing an award for the two sisters who took on their molesters in a moving bus, Haryana government today decided to put it on hold pending an inquiry after four women co-passengers claimed the youths were innocent.
“The award announced for the two sisters by the state government which was to be bestowed upon them on Republic day had been ‘put on hold pending an inquiry’ in the case,” Chief Minister’s Officer on Special duty (OSD) Jawahar Yadav said.
“Against whomsoever evidence is found action will be taken,” he added.
After a video of the girls thrashing three boys in a moving bus went viral on social media and news channels declaring the sisters as ‘bravehearts’, the Haryana government had announced an honour for the two sisters on the occasion of Republic day.
Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said in an official statement that both the girls had shown indomitable courage and bravery by opposing the misdemeanour of three youth who tried to “molest” them in a moving bus of Haryana Roadways at Rohtak.
The two college-going sisters had confronted three alleged molesters inside a moving bus, with one of the girls even hitting the youths with her belt, even as passengers remained mute spectators.
The parents of the two girls lodged an FIR with Haryana police against the three youths- Kuldeep, Mohit and Deepak who were were later arrested and released on bail.
A case under section 354 (assault or criminal force with intent to outrage woman’s modesty) and section 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) was registered against them, police said.
However, the matter took a new turn when four women co-passengers from Aasan village, the native hamlet of the sisters, gave an affidavit in Sadar police station at Rohtak claiming that the boys were not involved in molestation of the sisters.
Also, another video surfaced showing the two sisters beating up a youth in a park for allegedly teasing them.
