Haryana Police on Thursday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that a special investigation team (SIT)?has identified fresh suspects, who could be the perpetrators of alleged gang rapes, reported during the February 2016 Jat quota stir on Ambala-Delhi Grand Trunk Road in Murthal area of Sonepat.

“The (blood) samples of some of the suspects have been taken and sent for medical examination. Besides, there are some who are not cooperating. Further necessary investigation is underway,” additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for Haryana, told the bench of justices SS Saron and Darshan Singh.

The bench is hearing a suo motu petition initiated after reports of alleged gang rapes in February 2016 by an English daily.

Amicus curaie in the case, senior advocate Anupam Gupta, though discarded the fresh report of SIT, stating that it was merely an “eyewash”.

“They arrested five persons (on allegations of rape) last year and later filed a cancellation report,” Gupta said, commenting on the probe by the SIT, headed by inspector general of police, Mamta Singh, which said it has not been able to find out fresh witness or any victim so far.

The five persons against whom the charge of gang rape was added in April 2016 have now been exonerated after a DNA report did not corroborate of their involvement. All five are now out on bail. The high court has sought fresh status report on the next date of hearing, April 6.

Meanwhile, statements of two crucial witnesses do not establish allegations of rape, the SIT told the high court.

Though the report was not made public, from what transpired during the hearing, indicated that the SIT claimed in its fresh status report that statements of two witnesses -- Bobby Joshi and Raj Kumar -- do not establish that alleged rapes had taken place.