Rightly terming as ‘horrible’ the Hathras incident in which a Dalit girl was allegedly brutally raped and died due to injuries, the Supreme Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to inform it by 8 October about the steps taken to protect witnesses in the case.
The court directed the Yogi Adityanath government to file an affidavit in this regard and also ascertain whether the victim’s family has chosen a lawyer.
A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said it will ensure that the investigation is smooth in the case. The SC observation came while hearing a PIL during which the State government expressed willingness to refer the investigation to the CBI on the ground that fake narratives were being spread about the case with political motives.
The apex court also asked all parties appearing before it to give suggestions on the scope of proceedings before the Allahabad high court and how the apex court can make it more relevant.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the UP government, said, Narratives after narratives being spread in Hathras case, this needs to be stopped. The CBI probe in Hathras case will ensure no vested interests will be able to create fake, false narrative with oblique motives, Mehta told the court. The probe in Hathras case should be conducted by the CBI under the Supreme Court’s supervision.