BackSC reserves order on plea in Uber rape case
The petition had sought the dismissal of a Delhi high court order allowing the accused to recall and re-examine 13 witnesses
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order in a plea seeking the dismissal of a Delhi high court order which allowed an Uber cab driver accused of raping a 25-year-old woman to recall and re-examine 13 witnesses, including the woman.
The woman was cross re-examined for three days in a Delhi trial court before the apex court on 10 March granted a stay on the proceedings. The accused had contested his previous lawyer’s ability to cross examine witnesses and said key questions were not raised in the trial. After giving instructions to his new lawyer, he filed for recalling all the witnesses.
A bench comprising justices Jagdish Singh Kehar and Adarsh Kumar Goel heard arguments on whether a re-examination of witnesses could be permitted on such grounds.
Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of the Delhi Police, blamed the accused of time-wasting tactics and sought the dismissal of the Delhi high court order.
On 4 March, judge Sunita Gupta of the Delhi high court had partly allowed the request made by the accused, ordering the re-examination of 13 of the 20 prosecution witnesses after the trial court had denied his request.
Senior counsel Colin Gonsalves, appearing on behalf of the woman, said that she was humiliated, embarrassed and insulted during the re-examination. The court allowed D.K Mishra, advocate for the accused, to file written submissions within a week, following which the court will give its order.
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