SC orders shifting of Kathua rape accused to Punjab jail
New Delhi, July 9 : The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the shifting of seven accused in rape-murder of a eight-year-old minor nomadic girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua to the district jail in Punjab's Gurdaspur.
Seven of the eighth accused facing trial in the rape-murder case are currently lodged in Kathua district jail. The remained accused is a juvenile.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice D.Y.Chandrachud and Justice Indu Malhotra ordered the shifting of seven accused as senior counsel Indira Jaising told the court the purpose of holding day to day hearing has been defeated as the actual trial was taking only for a couple of hours since a lot of time was being lost in bringing the accused from Kathua jail to Pathankot.
Transferring the trial in the case from Kathua to Pathankot in Punjab on May 7, the top court had ordered that the Pathankot District and Sessions Judge would hold the trial in-camera and on day-to-day with no adjournments.
Directing that the trial judge would convert the trial court into in camera proceedings, the court on Monday said no one except the lawyers for the accused or the special public prosecutor will be allowed to enter the court room.
The court said that the trial judge would make all endeavours to secure the atmosphere for the trial and the Punjab and Haryana High Court would be approached by the contesting parties if aggrieved with any of its orders.
The court also directed the J&K government to provide security to the Special Public Prosecutor. The Pathankot court had framed charges against seven accused on June 7.
The top court's order came on a plea by the victim child's father who had moved the court seeking the transfer of trial from Kathua to Chandigarh.
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
