Hathras gang-rape: Adityanath orders SIT probe, asks for report in 7 days

In the wake of severe public outrage over the death of the 19-year-old Hathras gang-rape victim, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) team that will investigate the case and submit a report within the next seven days.

“Culprits of Hathras gangrape incident will not be spared. An SIT has been formed to investigate the incident, the team will submit a report within next seven days. To ensure swift justice, this case will be tried in a fast-track court,” ANI quoted Adityanath as saying on Wednesday (September 30).

Reports say the SIT team will comprise home secretary Bhagwan Swaroop, DIG Chandra Prakash and IPS officer Poonam.

The chief minister has reportedly also decided to refer the case to a fast track court to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Related news: Hathras gang-rape: Kin allege cops refused them body, cremated her at night

The formation of the SIT comes in the backdrop of allegations made by the victim’s family that her body was not handed over to them and was cremated by police in the dead of the night on Tuesday (September 29).

The allegations, have led to severe public outrage, with people from all walks of life slamming the Adityanath government of cremating the body without the consent of the family to suppress the case. Some reports say the Hathras police have even refused that the woman was raped.

Condemning the incident, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has demanded the resignation of Adityanath. In a series of tweets, she recounted her conversation with the woman’s father after receiving the news of her death.

“He had just been telling me that all he wanted was justice for his child. Last night he was robbed of the chance to take his daughter home for the last time and perform her last rites….Instead of protecting the victim and her family, your government became complicit in depriving her of every single human right, even in death. You have no moral right to continue as Chief Minister,” she tweeted.

Related news: Dalit girl gang-raped in UP’s Hathras dies in Delhi hospital

The Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by four Upper Caste men when she was cutting grass in her field, on September 14. She sustained severe fractures and injuries on her body and breathed her last in a Delhi hospital on Tuesday, two weeks after the incident.

The four accused in the case have been arrested and booked.