Hathras: Supreme Court Says Allahabad HC Will Monitor CBI Probe

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the the Allahabad High Court will monitor the investigation in to the Hathras case and the transfer of the case to Delhi would be done after investigations are completed. 

Reports said that the court has asked the CBI to file status reports before the Allahabad HC. 

Bar and Bench quoted the bench as saying, “Without making any observations on the merits of the case, SC says all the aspects of the case to be considered by the Allahabad High Court. ” 

The court had reserved its verdict on October 15 over a PIL and other pleas that have sought a court-monitored probe into the Hathras case, and sought that the case be transferred out of Uttar Pradesh.  

Hindustan Times reported that senior lawyers, including Indira Jaisingh, had expressed fears that the case would not be accorded a fair trial in Uttar Pradesh. 

The Uttar Pradesh government has come under scrutiny because of the way it has handled the case so far. 

Four men of a dominant caste allegedly raped the 19-year-old woman in Hathras on September 14. The woman died two weeks later on September 29. 

The manner in which her body was cremated sparked a massive outrage across the country with people demanding justice. The Uttar Pradesh police has denied rape or caste violence in the case while dominant caste groups have held protests in Hathras demanding the four accused be released. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justice A S Bopanna and Justice V Ramasubramanian will pronounce its verdict in the case. 

PTI reported that the lawyer, appearing for the victim’s family, had told the Supreme Court that trial in the case be shifted out of Uttar Pradesh to a court in the national capital after completion of investigation.

An SIT was set up by Uttar Pradesh government to probe the matter and the case was transferred to the CBI. 

(With PTI inputs)