The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered CRPF security cover to the family of the 19-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped and murdered by four upper-caste youths in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, on September 14.
The top court also directed Allahabad High Court to monitor the ongoing CBI investigation.
The girl died at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on September 29. Her body was burnt by the police in the dead of the night near her home on September 30. Her family has said they were locked up in their house by the police before the cremation.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde asked the high court to morph any reference relating to the identity of the girl after solicitor-general Tushar Mehta brought to its notice references to the girl’s identity in the earlier orders by the high court.
Disposing of a batch of 16 petitions/applications filed on the issue by individuals and organisations for a Supreme Court-monitored probe, the bench also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, said the high court was already seized of the issue.
But the top court assured that at a later stage, it would consider the plea for transferring the trial to Delhi from Uttar Prdaesh after completion of the CBI investigation.
“Though various contentions were urged, the undisputed fact is that the investigation has in fact been entrusted by the state government itself to the CBI on October 10 and the CBI has started investigation in respect of the crime on October 11.
“Therefore, the apprehensions expressed by the petitioners/applicants that there would be no proper investigation if the Uttar Pradesh police conducted the same would not remain open for consideration at this stage and the grievance to that extent stands redressed.”
Referring to the plea by senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for some women lawyers, to appoint a special public prosecutor for the case, the bench said the high court was free to decide on this since the case involves an offence under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.
