Will transfer Kathua trial if it's not fair, warns Supreme Court

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In a stern warning, the Supreme Court yesterday said it would transfer the Kathua gangrape and murder case from the local court in Jammu and Kashmir in the "slightest possibility" of lack of fair trial, saying the "real concern" was to hold proper prosecution.

The observations by a bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra came amid a report filed by a Bar Council of India (BCI's) committee which supported the demand of the lawyers' body there for a CBI probe in the matter saying the bar associations in Kathua had not obstructed the police or the counsel representing the victim's family in any manner.

The apex court, after perusing the report, said it would not "digress" from the main issue of ensuring a fair trial, not only for the accused but also for the victim's family. The bench said "the real concern of this court is to see that a fair trial is done and the trial is fair to the accused as well as the family members of the victim".

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