Hathras case: CJI bench to hear PIL seeking CBI, SIT probe today

6-October-2020

The Supreme Court will hear today a PIL seeking a CBI probe or a SIT investigation under a sitting or former Supreme Court or a High Court judge into the brutal gangrape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district. The PIL will be taken up by a bench, headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian.

The petitioners -- social activist Satyama Dubey and advocates Vishal Thakre and Rudra Pratap Yadav -- have urged the apex court to pass appropriate orders for a fair investigation, either by the CBI or the SIT under a sitting or retired Supreme Court or High Court judge and transfer the case to Delhi due to "failure of Uttar Pradesh authorities" in taking action against the accused.

The plea mentions that the victim was first raped and then brutally assaulted when she was in the field to collect fodder for her cattle, and according to a medical report, her tongue was chopped and her neck bone and back bone was also broken by the accused, who belonged to an upper caste. The victim subsequently succumbed to her injuries at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi.

It also states that the police had hurriedly cremated the body, and had maintained that the cremation was being carried out as per the wishes of the family, "which is not true" as police personnel themselves lit fire to the pyre, while even media persons had also been banned as per information received.

The plea also claimed that the police have not performed their duties towards the victim, and were, instead, trying to shield the accused persons. "Because no arrest was made in this matter, the accused persons are moving freely and they have no fear at all...the family of the victim has been victimised by the upper caste persons and no action has been done by the authorities/police officials," the plea stated.