One of 38 lawyers defending Kathua rape accused, Anil Sethi was named ‘prime suspect’ the 2006 ‘sex scandal’ case
Sethi was ‘wanted’ by CBI, after Sabeena, the kingpin of the sex racket named him along with some politicians
In the Kathua rape and murder case, where an eight-year-old nomad Muslim girl, was abducted, raped and murdered in Hiranagar area of Kathua district in January, to frighten and drive out Muslim nomads from the Jammu region, the accused have hired a total of 38 lawyers to defend themselves.
One of the top names that have appeared on the list is that of Ex Advocate General Anil Sethi.
Sethi was one of the seven persons named in the infamous Kashmir ‘Sex Scandal’ case.
However two persons, including Sethi was acquitted in the same case due to benefit of doubt.
Sethi was one of the prime accused in the case pertaining to sexual exploitation of young girls, and had surrendered before a Jammu court after being absconding. Sethi was wanted by CBI, after Sabeena, the kingpin of the sex racket named him along with some politicians, police officers, bureaucrats and businessmen.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had announced a reward of Rs 2 lakhs for information leading to his arrest.
Sethi then had turned up before the First Class Judicial Magistrate Amit Sharma. Eyewitnesses had said that Sethi made his dramatic appearance before Duty Magistrate Jammu and pleaded that he wanted to surrender before the court.
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After the Sex Scandal case, his name has surfaced in the Kathua rape and murder case, but this time, he is not the accused but is defending the rape accused.
The lawyers in Kathua, from the Kathua Bar Association and the Jammu Bar Association had tried to prevent the Crime Branch from filing the chargesheet in the rape and murder case. However the police, after calling reinforcements had filed the chargesheet.
“We have filed charge sheet against seven accused persons and charge sheet against a juvenile person will be field separately,” IGP Syed Afadul Mujtaba had said.
The President of the Bar, Kirty Bhushan Mahajan had said, “All Bar members strongly condemn the conduct of the Crime Branch in the case. The state government has failed to deal with the issue and understand the sentiments of the people. The agitation of the Bar was successful and the Crime Branch was compelled to go back and the Challan could not be presented in the court.”
The Civil society along with lawyers from the Bar Association and ruling Bhartiya Janata Party then took out a rally by the name of Hindu Ekta Manch in supoprt of the accused.
Ankur Sharma, then the defence lawyer of the five out of seven accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, in a video had said that the people of Kashmir have gone ‘insane’. The reason for their ‘worry’, he had said, was that “you people (Hindus) have united as one” while referring to the Hindu Ekta Manch, which was formed in support of the accused.
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The Supreme Court (SC) had directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to provide police protection to Kathua victim’s family members and their lawyers. The victim’s lawyer, Advocate Deepika Singh Rajawat had said that she was being threatened for taking up the case. The victim’s father had also asked the apex court for adequate security for family members of the victimAdvocate Rajawat and her family members, and Advocate Talib Hussain.
The SC in May had transferred the trial of the case to Pathankot in Punjab.
The apex court had earlier said that the case will be shifted out of JK at the ‘slightest possibility of lack of a fair trial’. A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud said its “real concern” was to see that a fair trial was conducted.
The trial later began in the court of District and Session Judge, Pathankot, Punjab, amid tight security, on May 1.
Here is the full list of the lawyers defending accused.(As per Power of Attorneys on record).
(1) Mr. Anil Sethi, Adv. (744/89JK)
(2) Mr. Anmol Sharma, Adv.(206/2009JK) for Deepak Khajuria (accused no.1) and Anand Dutta (accused no.7).
(3) Mr. Rohit Verma, Adv. (D-1712/2004)
(4) Mr. Kasturi Lal, Adv.(675 of 2005JK)
(5) Mr. Javed Anwar Mirza, Adv.(523/2010JK).
(6) Mr. Manav Sharma, Adv., (100/2016JK) counsel for Surinder Kumar (accused no.2).
(7). Mr. Ankur Sharma, Adv. (JK-513/19.12.2015-2015 ),counsel for Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3), Vishal Jangotra (accused No.4), Sanji Ram (accused no.5).
(8). Mr. Subhash Chander Sharma, Adv.( P.467/1985) Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3), Vishal Jangotra (accused No.4), Sanji Ram (accused no.5).
(9). Mr. H.S. Pathania, Adv. (P.1041/1982),
(10). Mr. Vikrant Mahajan, Adv. (P-1571/2007).
(11). Mr. Ajay Dhadwal, Adv., (P-938/1995).
(12). Mr. Racchpal Thakur, Adv. (P-397/1992).
(13). Mr. Sanjeev Mahajan, Adv. (P-469-A/1987).
(14). Mr. Vinod K. Mahajan, Adv. (P-293/2011).
(15). Mr. Amit Verma, Adv. (P-5/1993).
(16). Mr. Ajay Lalotra, Adv. (P-1912/1994).
(17). Mr. Ajay Pathania, Adv. (P-990/1992).
(18). Mr. J.P. Singh, Adv. (P-3135/2015).
(19). Ms. Sonam Chopra, Adv. (P-3699/2017).
(20). Mr. Jatinder Jaggi, Adv. (P-533/2016).
(21). Mr.Ravinder Jaggi, Adv. (P-3304/2008).
(22). Mr. Deepak Rasotra, Adv. (P-3638/2009)
(23). Mr. Gaurav Partap Singh Pathania,Adv.(P-3146/2013 ).
(Advocates mentioned at No.9 to No. 23 are representing Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3), Vishal Jangotra (accused No.4) and Sanji Ram (accused no.5).
(24). Mr. Ajay Sharma, Adv. ( P-3015/1999 ).
(25). Mr. Sandeep Sharma, Adv. (P-1686/1999), counsel for Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3).
(26). Mr. A.K. Sawhney, Adv. (P/672/1976)
(27). Mr. Aseem Sawhney, Adv. (P-117-A/2002)
(28). Mr. Neeraj Singh, Adv. (551/2014JK)
(29). Mr. Utkarsh Pathania, Adv. (89/2016JK).
(30). Mr. Shiv Dev Singh Thakur. Adv. (JK-116/2017).
(31). Mr. Anil Sharma,Adv. (20/2017JK), counsel for Tilak Raj (accused No.6).
(32). Master Mohan Lal, Adv. (P-422/1993)
(33). Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Adv. (P-84 of 1997)
(34). Mr. Jagdish Saini, Adv. (P-1347/1991) appearing for Vishal Jangotra (accused No.4) and Sanji Ram (accused No.5)
(35). Ms. Sheeba Sethi, Adv. (1981/2018JK) appearing for Deepak Khajuria (accused No.1) and Anand Dutta (accused No.7).
(36) Mr. Vikramjit Rai, Adv. (P-2818/08) and
(37). Ms. R.D. Pandit, Adv (P-1592/1999) appearing for accused Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3)
(38). Ms. Mamta Bedi, Adv. (No. P-1727/1999) appearing for accused Parvesh Kumar (accused No.3)
