CBI team visits spot where Dalit woman was gangraped in Hathras

The case was referred to the CBI by the Uttar Pradesh government after alleged apathy of the administration snowballed into a political storm

New Delhi, October 13

A CBI team on Tuesday visited the spot in Hathras where a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped on September 14, officials said.

The team called the victim’s brother to identify the place and directed the local police to cordon off the crime scene, nearly a month after the woman was allegedly raped and assaulted by four men of the village.

The investigators are likely to return with forensic experts from Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to carry out a detailed crime scene recreation, they said.

The woman had succumbed to her injuries at a Delhi Hospital on September 29 following which the district magistrate ordered cremation of the body allegedly against the wishes of family in the dead of the night.

The case was referred to the CBI by the Uttar Pradesh government after alleged apathy of the administration snowballed into a political storm with Congress, Aam Admi Party, Trinamool Congress and other opposition leaders of the state from Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal staged massive protests.

The officer concerned of the UP police had registered a case of attempt to murder on a statement by the victim’s brother who, as per the FIR at Chandpa police station, had said that the accused tried to strangulate his sister in a millet field and escaped when she raised an alarm.

A notification issued by the Centre on the request of the state government had asked the CBI to probe, rape, murder and atrocity and “any attempt, abetment and/or conspiracy, in relation to or in connection with such offence(s) and/or for any other offence committed in the course of the same transaction or arising out of the same facts”.

“The complainant had alleged that on September 14, 2020 the accused tried to strangulate his sister in the millet field. The case has been registered by CBI on the request of Uttar Pradesh government and further notification from Government of India,” CBI Spokesperson RK Gaur had said after registration of the FIR on Sunday.