Maruti violence: Attempt to exaggerate crime, says lawyer

February 05, 2017 12:16 am | Updated 12:16 am IST - GURUGRAM:

Presenting arguments on behalf of the accused workers in the Maruti violence case at a local court here on Saturday, senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court R. S. Cheema said that there was a “planned and concerted attempt to exaggerate the crime” and added that the court must rely on “scientific and medical evidence” to decide the matter.

Referring to the evidence on record, Mr. Cheema argued in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge R. P. Goyal that the injuries to most of the victims in the case were “swelling, tenderness and caused by blunt objects” and were the result of stampede, jostling and pushing around inside the company's premises during the incident.

Weapons of offence

Mr. Cheema also presented before the court the alleged weapons of offence: door beams and shockers, to bring home the point that the injuries caused by these weapons would have been lethal, but there were no serious injuries to the victims.

The advocate added that most of the injuries were caused to non-vital organs and those inflicted on vital organs such as the chest were not serious.

‘Witnesses partisan’

Mr. Cheema, who appeared pro bono in the case, further contended that it was wrong to conclude that the workers formed an unlawful assembly and even if it was so accepted, they had no object to cause death.

The lawyer said that the witnesses in the case were partisan and the police had failed to carry out an honest investigation and the court, therefore, must rely on scientific evidence.

Fire at the plant

Referring to the fire at the company’s premises during the incident, Mr. Cheema said that there was no evidence of man-made fire and blocking of door to the meeting hall to burn the management officials. The lawyer further said that there was no scientific evidence to show as to how the fire actually broke out and whether it was a human act.

Mr. Cheema also read out the statements of several prosecution witnesses in the case to prove that it was not a case of a “sustained stand-off” and that “things moved fast on the particular day”.

The advocate said that as per the statements of the prosecution witnesses, negotiations were being conducted on the day of incident and that “things were under control” till 7 p.m.

‘No criminal conspiracy’

Mr. Cheema strongly refuted the criminal conspiracy charges levelled against the accused workers saying that there was no scope for conspiracy at all.

He said that conspiracy must precede the crime. “The criminal conspiracy is not remotely conceived here,” said Mr. Cheema, who represents 18 accused in the Maruti violence case.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 14.

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