CBI files gang-rape, murder FIR, reaches Hathras for case file

LUCKNOW/AGRA: A week after UP CM Yogi Adityanath recommended a CBI probe into the Hathras case, the central agency on Sunday registered an FIR under sections 376D (gang rape), 307 (attempt to murder) and 302 (murder) of the IPC and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act (offences of atrocities).
Hours after registering the FIR, a CBI team reached Hathras and met the superintendent of police. Hathras SP Vineet Jaiswal told TOI that a CBI team reached the district and sought documents regarding the victim’s case, which includes the case dairy and other evidence collected during the probe. “All paperwork has been wrapped up today. Their investigation will begin tomorrow,” a senior police official said, adding that the team has not met the victim’s family yet. Fifteen CBI officials are expected to be in Hathras for the next couple of weeks, a senior cop said.
The CBI would also be inquiring into the forceful cremation if so by the local police, the allegation of negligence in not writing a case of rape on September 14, as alleged by the family.

The SIT formed by the UP government, meanwhile, will continue its probe into police's role in the cremation incident. “That investigation is not related to the main case,” the senior cop added.
A CBI spokesperson said the case had been assigned to its Ghaziabad unit with a special team to investigate the crime. The agency registered the case on the basis of the first FIR registered at Chandpa police station of Hathras on September 14 — an hour after the incident — for attempt to murder and under the SC/ST Act against main accused Sandeep. The complainant in the case was the victim’s brother. The 19-year old girl died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on September 29. She had suffered multiple fractures, paralysis in a brutal attack on September 14 in her Hathras village.
“The CBI has today registered a case against an accused and taken over the investigation of the case, earlier registered ... at ... 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 ... A team has been constituted. Investigation is continuing,” a CBI press note said on Sunday. The investigating officer in the case is DSP (ACB, Ghaziabad) Seema Pahuja.
The notification issued by the Centre on the request of the UP 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 stated in the FIR that Sandeep had tried to strangle his sister while she was working in the fields. But she raised an alarm and his mother reached the spot. After that Sandeep fled the spot. Based on the incident, a case of attempt to murder and the ST/SC Act was registered. However, later the victim claimed to have been raped. The police later added the section of rape against the same accused on September 19 on the statement of the victim in JN Medical hospital. The next day cops arrested the main accused.
Later, on September 22, the victim had claimed that she was gang-raped by three other youths of the same village as well and the cops added the penal section for gang rape and by September 26, all the accused were arrested.