High court asks Delhi & Haryana to provide security to witnesses

The Delhi high court today asked the governments of National Capital Territory and Haryana to draw up a strategy to provide security to witnesses till their testimonies are recorded in the case relating to the killing of two Dalits in Haryana's Mirchpur village last year.
    
The court also asked the principal secretaries, home, from the state governments to hold discussions on Febuary 17 as to which state would bear the expenses towards the travel expenses of the witnesses for recording of the statements.
    
Justice Hima Kohli, in an order, made it clear that in case the senior officers fail to comply with the court's direction they would have to appear in person to explain the reasons for delay before the trial court on February 19.
    
A city court, conducting the trial after the Supreme Court transfered the case from a Haryana court to a special court here, had earlier ordered for deployment of CRPF at Mirchpur village preferably near the spot of the incident i.e around the Balmiki Basti and should continue till such time the public witnesses in the case are examined.
    
The court also had taken exception to Delhi government's delay in appointing a special public prosecutor to conduct the trial in the case and summoned the Principal Secretary, Home, for his personal appearance on February 17.
    
Challenging the special court's summoning order, the city government had approached the high court.