"Yet another lost day in court"

Thursday 08 March 2018

The 112th scheduled hearing in the trial of the man accused of murdering Sarah Groves has been described as "another lost day in court."

Due to serious civil unrest in Kashmir, prisoners could not be taken from the Central Jail to court for today’s scheduled hearings with police officers deployed to "maintain law and order situation in Srinagar city and other detainee duties." Richard de Wit was among those individuals who couldn't be taken to court; he denies murdering Miss Groves in April 2013.

In a statement issued by Miss Groves' father, Vic Groves, the Judge requested the case be adjourned again and filed for tomorrow, Friday 9 March instead.

Mr Groves wrote: "Yet another lost day in court" and again asked for support from the public in signing a petition putting pressure on the British Government to intervene with the Indian Government to try and force progress to be made.

Mr Groves said: "Pressure is still being put on the British Government to raise an official objection with the Indian Government about the way in which the case has been and is being handled.  The petition has now been signed by well in excess of 15,000 people but the wheels of Government turn slowly, especially while Brexit is around.  Today’s events again add validity to the petition and its aims."

You can sign the petition here. 

In addition to that petition a "very strong letter" has been sent to the judge this week and to all senior political and legal stakeholders in India with the Groves' family and their legal advisors "urging immediate action to prevent the total collapse of the trial and to take steps to ensure that the verdict, when eventually delivered, is a safe one."

Mr Groves statement continued that "it has been made clear to everyone that as matters stand, neither side will trust the eventual verdict based on":

• The appalling way the case has been run
• The poor quality of the court papers that have been released
• Non-compliance with official Court Orders
• Inexcusably bad cross-examination of key witnesses in the early days of the trial (a request has been submitted for their recall to enable second cross-examination to take place)
• Many other factors

The case has been listed again for tomorrow. 

The hearing scheduled for today was aimed at concluding the evidence of the current witness which it is now hoped will happen tomorrow, but there are still security concerns.

Pictured above: Richard de Wit, who denies murder and Sarah Groves