Ahead of the hearing of the alleged Hathras gang rape case, the Uttar Pradesh Government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court giving details of the security provided to the witnesses and family members of the deceased victim.
Giving details of the security, the Government informed the top court that the armed Constabulary Component comprising 15 personnel, Civil Police Component, and installation of CCTV cameras have been put in place to ensure the security and safety of the family members of the Hathras rape victim.
It also requested the Court to allow the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter under the supervision of the apex court in a time-bound manner.
The UP government also requested the top court to direct the CBI to submit fortnightly status reports to the state government so that the same can be filed in the Supreme Court through the DGP, UP.
The apex court is scheduled to hear the matter tomorrow.
Also Read: Hathras Case: Allahabad HC berates UP Govt officials; says the Victim was at least entitled to decent cremation; also questions continuation of DM [Read Order]
The UP Government also informed the Court that the victim’s family had engaged advocate Seema Kushwaha and Raj Ratan as their private lawyers.
The CBI took over the investigation of Hathras case on October 11 on the recommendation of the UP Government.
The Supreme Court, while hearing a PIL filed by one Satyama Dubey, directed the Uttar Pradesh Government to apprise it through an affidavit of its plan to provide protection to the victim’s family.
It also asked the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who appeared for the UP Government to ascertain whether the victim’s family had chosen any lawyer. The matter will be heard next week for further hearing.
Yesterday the Allahabad High Court in a damning order against the Uttar Pradesh government expressed its displeasure at the manner in which the dead body of the victim was cremated late at night without the consent and in the absence of her family members.
After hearing the victim’s family members and officials of the UP Government, a bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Rajan Roy at the Lucknow Bench said the late-night cremation of the victim’s dead body in the name of a law and order situation, prima facie, was an infringement of the human rights of the victim and her family.
“The victim was at least entitled to a decent cremation in accordance with her religious customs and rituals which essentially are to be performed by her family. Cremation is one of the ‘Sanskars’ i.e., antim sanskar recognized as an important ritual which could not have been compromised taking the shelter of law & order situation”, the bench said.
