Hathras gang-rape case: Supreme Court asks UP about witness protection

Source:-https://www.hindustantimes.com

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the Hathras gang-rape and murder of a Dalit woman was a horrible and extraordinary incident and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify whether the witnesses in the case are being given adequate protection.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI), SA Bobde, asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit clarifying the same while saying that it will try to ensure that the investigation into the incident is smooth. “We want to know from you whether the witness protection plan is in place. File an affidavit,” CJI Bobde told solicitor general, Tushar Mehta, who was representing the state government.

The court also asked the state to ascertain whether or not the family of the victim has engaged a lawyer. It further sought details of the scope of proceedings before Allahabad High Court. “We want to widen the high court proceedings and make it more relevant,” CJI Bobde said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by social activist Satyam Dubey and two lawyers, Vishal Thakre and Rudra Pratap Yadav, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Special Investigation Team (CBI) into the crime.

Tushar Mehta told the top court that the state government is not opposing the plea for CBI probe but requested that it should be done under the supervision of the Supreme Court. The state government also took exception to media outlets and political parties sensationalising the incident. “We are not treating this as an adversarial litigation. There are different narratives in the public domain. One innocent life has been lost. It should not be sensationalised,” Mehta said.