UP govt orders CBI probe into Hathras ‘gangrape’ case, victim’s kin say want judicial probe

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to hand over the entire probe into the Hathras case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Announcing this move in a tweet, the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the CM has decided to hand over the entire investigation into the Hathras case to the CBI.

The development comes at a time when the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police have been under intense public and political pressure over their handling of the Hathras case where a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly raped and brutally tortured by four upper caste men.

@myogiadityanath

— CM Office, GoUP (@CMOfficeUP) October 3, 2020

The victim succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday at Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, nearly a fortnight after she was assaulted. Following her death, a team of the UP Police took her body to her village in an ambulance and cremated it at night even though the victim’s family protested it. Her parents wanted to take her body to their home one last time.

India Today was the first to report the forceful cremation by the UP Police. The report triggered a countrywide uproar against police highhandedness and denial of dignity to the victim in her death.

Meanwhile, speaking to India Today after the state government’s announcement of a CBI probe, the victim’s family said they were not satisfied with it.

We do not want a CBI probe Yogi ji. We want a judicial probe, the family said.