Just hours after posting an FIR and a press statement on taking over the investigation into the Hathras gang rape and murder of a Dalit woman, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) removed the same from its website.
The CBI formally took over the case after the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued a notification authorising the agency to investigate the case, and registered an FIR early on Sunday under Section 307 (Attempt to murder), 376(D) (Gang rape), and 302 (Murder) of IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of CBI’s Ghaziabad Unit mentioned “Rape, attempt to murder, gang rape and Murder (other)” as suspected offences in the case. Though the FIR and a press release were published on the agency’s website, the FIR was later removed. The link in the press release now leads to a bank fraud case.
Late in the afternoon, a fresh release was posted, stating that the agency had registered a case “against an accused and taken over the investigation of the case, earlier registered vide CC no-136/2020 at Police Station Chandpa, District-Hathras (Uttar Pradesh) on a complaint. The complainant had alleged that on 14.09.2020, 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 from Government of India.”
The case was originally registered as an attempt to murder a Dalit at the Chandpa police station in Hathras on September 14. Neither the complaint (by the victim’s brother) nor the first FIR had made any mention of rape or gang rape.
After the 19-year-old victim succumbed to injuries in a Delhi hospital on September 29, triggering national outrage, political parties, activists and others called for an in-depth investigation into the ghastly crime.
The issue took a twist when the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Aligarh Muslim University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College & Hospital said there were no signs suggestive of vaginal/anal intercourse. But the report said there was evidence of assault with injuries on the body which was cremated by the police on the night of September 29 allegedly without the consent of the aggrieved family.