CBI Takes Over Hathras Investigation From Uttar Pradesh Police, May Also Probe Sedition FIRs

The alleged gang-rape and murder case of the 19-year-old Dalit girl upper-caste men by four in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras that led to massive protests across the country will now be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as recommended by the state government.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government had approached the Supreme court requesting for a court-monitored CBI probe. The state government later approached the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of personnel which is the administrative ministry in-charge of CBI. The Department of Personnel and Training later issued a notification, reported News18.

The CBI will also probe FIR related to the alleged criminal conspiracy to spread caste conflict, instigating violence, incidents of vicious propaganda by sections of media and political interests, they said.

The Yogi Adityanath-led state government had come under immense criticism over its handling of the Hathras case.

The brutality of the case had once again reminded many of Nirbhaya. The UP government was mainly criticised for late-night cremation of the victim with her family members being locked up, and their late response to the grave crime.

The Yogi Aditynath administration has been alleged of trying to cover up the crime as all the accused are 'Thakurs' (Thakurs). According to an NDTV report, the police till now has registered 19 FIRs in total but none of them is against the accused. All the FIRs filed are against unknown people for being involved in defaming the government.

The issue of women's safety has been discussed for a long time in the country. According to the data given by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) around 87 rape cases are reported every day and there has been a seven per cent rise in the number of rape cases since 2018.