Hathras case: SC to hear plea for CBI or SIT probe; UP govt tells late night cremation extraordinary situation
Supreme Court will be taking up a PIL that is seeking a CBI probe into the Hathras alleged gangrape case. The plea will be heard by a Supreme Court bench led by CJI SA Bobde.
FollowNew Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday (October 6) a writ petition seeking probe by the CBI or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a sitting or retired SC or High Court judge into the alleged rape and murder of a Dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
The plea by Satyama Dubey, who identified herself as a social activist, and advocates Vishal Thakre and Rudra Pratap Yadav has been listed before a beach headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde.
The rape-accused will be defended by Supreme Court lawyer AP Singh, who defended the convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case.
The petitioners also want the trial to be shifted to Delhi. The plea alleges that the UP government and the state authorities had “failed to take…actions against accused persons…”.
Also read: Covid infected AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar visits Hathras victim’s family
In UP, police have registered 19 FIRs across the state against the Hathras protests, ranging from attempting to trigger caste conflict to sedition. CM Yogi Adityanath has said some anti-social elements are trying to spread caste-based violence and tensions in the state. Late night cremation of the victim’s body created a furore, and the UP Police drew flak.
UP government has said in Supreme Court, "We have already requested Centre to transfer investigation of the rape-murder case as well as the FIR registered for conspiracy to spread caste conflict. Extraordinary circumstances forced district administration to take the extraordinary step of cremating the victim at night in presence of and with the consent of family members."
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may be looking at money laundering and dubious funds being sourced to fuel the case-based protests over the Hathras case, in which a 19-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gangraped and left to die on the fields with severe injuries. The girl died at a hospital in Delhi after suffering injuries on her spine and tongue, triggering massive outrage and protests across the country.
