Self-immolation bid outside SC: UP government forms panel to probe all cases

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday constituted a two-member committee, headed by a DG-rank police officer, to look into all the aspects of the FIRs pertaining to the woman and her companion who had tried to set themselves ablaze outside the Supreme Court premises on Monday.
The duo had accused police officials and a judge of conspiring against them at the behest of jailed BSP MP Atul Rai, whom she had earlier accused of rape.
Additional chief secretary (home), Awanish Awasthi, told newsmen that the committee would be led by DG, Police Recruitment & Promotion Board (UPPRPB), RK Vishwakarma, and ADG, Women Power Line (1090), Neera Rawat, as its member. The committee will submit its report in two weeks.
A senior home official said the committee would probe the entire case including the FIRs lodged by the accused and the ones registered by the rape survivor and her associate against the accused. The team will also look into the chargesheet filed by the police and the non-bailable warrant issued against the rape survivor and her associate.
Sources in the home department said the DG (UPPRPB) would decide how many members he would have in his team for support. The DG may also visit Varanasi in connection with the probe.
On Tuesday, police inspector Rakesh Singh and sub-inspector Girja Shankar Yadav, who were the investigation officers in the case, were suspended by the Varanasi police commissioner.
Before self-immolation, the woman and her companion had livestreamed a video message on social media accusing BSP MP Atul Rai, then Varanasi SSP Amit Pathak, former IG Amitabh Thakur and other police and judicial officers of harassing them.