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Fresh PIL in SC seeks lodging of criminal case against UP officials, doctors in Hathras case
Ashish Tripathi
DHNS
Last Updated IST
Representative image.
Representative image.

A fresh PIL was filed on Tuesday in the Supreme Court seeking lodging of a criminal case against officials of Uttar Pradesh government and doctors for their "synchronised attempt" to conceal the heinous crime at Hathras related to the alleged gang rape of a Dalit girl who died of her injuries on September 29.

In a PIL, a social worker from Aurangabad, Chetan Janardhan Kamble contended the conduct of state police officials showed glaring violations of the rights of the victim and her family members, under Articles 14 and 21 Constitution.

"Unless there is some investigation into the role and involvement of the State officials including the police officials and the medical officers, not only the same is going to result into a biased and partial trial but it shall instil confidence in the criminals who keep on conducting such heinous crimes," the petition filed by advocate Vipin Nair said.

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The plea claimed the biased attitude of the state administration in the entire episode has come up with an intention to protect the corrupt officers who perhaps acted as conspirators in the crime.

The plea raised questioned if the synchronised attempts of the UP government through its officials in Home Department and Government Hospital at Aligarh to manipulate and destroy the evidence and rule out the possibility of rape and murder, amounted to an abuse of judicial process and interference with the administration of justice.

The petitioner, naming senior officers including district magistrate as parties, said the reply filed by the Chief Secretary to the pending plea for CBI probe into the matter showed that they appeared to be fully motivated in covering up the entire incident.

He asked the court to lodge FIR against the state officers under the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and investigation of the matter by a special task force, comprising officers of impeccable integrity from the CBI and UP police.

He also sought a direction for the protection of witnesses and family members from the Central Reserve Police Force.

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(Published 14 October 2020, 02:49 IST)