E-Paper
Supreme Court to decide today whether Hathras trial should be shifted out of UP
Senior lawyers, including lawyer-activist Indira Jaisingh, expressed their apprehension that a fair probe was not possible in Uttar Pradesh
Prefer HTon Google
The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its judgment on Tuesday on a batch of pleas which have sought a transfer of the trial to Delhi along with a court-monitored probe as senior lawyers, including lawyer-activist Indira Jaising, expressed their apprehension that a fair probe was not possible in Uttar Pradesh. A 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly raped by four upper-caste men in Hathras on September 14. She died on September 29 at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital during treatment.The victim was cremated in the dead of the night near her home on September 30. The body was cremated at the dead of night allegedly without the presence of her family members. Local police officers, however, said the cremation was carried out “as per the wishes of the family”.
The Uttar Pradesh government had set up a Special Investigation Team, which has completed its probe. It was supposed to submit its report to the government, which had extended the deadline. Meanwhile, the SIT came into news after the wife of a senior police officer who is part of the SIT died of suicide.
A public interest litigation (PIL) and several intervention pleas have been filed demanding a court-monitored probe into the Hathras case. Demand to shift the trial out of Uttar Pradesh is also gaining ground. At present, CBI is investigating the case.
A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justice A S Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian is hearing the case. The lawyer, appearing for the victim’s family, had told the apex court that trial in the case be shifted out of Uttar Pradesh to a court in the national capital after completion of investigation.
As the security of the family members of the victim is paramount in this case, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had referred to the affidavit filed in the apex court by the Uttar Pradesh government which gave details about the security and protection provided to the victim’s family and witnesses in the case.
Mehta said that victim’s family has informed that they have engaged lawyer and they have also requested that government advocate should also pursue the case on their behalf.
(With PTI inputs)
