Hathras rape victim case updates: CBI takes up the case, investigation begins

Photo Credits: AFP

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken charge of the Hathras case of the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl post registering case against the accused, official stated.

CBI spokesperson RK Gaur quoted, “The case has been registered by the CBI on the request of Uttar Pradesh Government and further notification from Government of India.”

Gaur stated that a team has been set-up for further investigation of the case. The investigation will be headed by woman officer Seema Pahuja, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), according to the CBI officials.

Spilling further details, the officials iterated that the FIR has been filed against the accused Sandip Singh with Indian Penal code (IPC) sections 307 for attempting murder, 302 for committing murder, and 376-D for committing gang-rape. He added, the FIR is also inclusive of section 3 of SC/ST Atrocities against a scheduled caste woman.

The official mentioned that the CBI team will be visiting the crime scene with forensic experts on Sunday itself. The CBI team has already directed the local police officers to submit all the documents related to the case at the earliest.

He further stated that the CBI team will have a comprehensive interaction with three member SIT Team headed by Uttar Pradesh’s home secretary Bhagwan Swaroop Srivastava for taking the evidence and their findings.

The Centre’s Department of personnel and training (DoPT) had approved the decision of the UP government for the CBI to take over the Hathras case, earlier on Saturday.