Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has pulled up the state police for their ‘lacklustre and shoddy investigation’ into the alleged rape and murder of a 15-year- old girl earlier in the year. The high court said Hathras-like places not just exist in Uttar Pradesh but in Jharkhand as well. The high court also directed DGP MV Rao to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the case.
According to an FIR filed March 30, the accused had poured kerosene oil on the girl after raping her leading to her death. The victim is a resident of Giridih. Her father said that the family had caught hold of the accused when he was trying to escape. However, his relatives came to his rescue.
Justice Ananda Sen was hearing a writ petition filed by the father of the girl Thursday. The petition stated that the post-mortem report has suggested that the girl sustained 100 per cent burns. Her body was charred, but the investigation in the case was carried out in a ‘casual’ manner.
Justice Sen also said that the shocking incident has prompted the court to say that ‘Hathras (like places) is not only in the State of Uttar Pradesh, but also is in the State of Jharkhand’.
“Surprisingly, rather shockingly the swab of the victim was sent to the laboratory only May 20. In the entire case diary there is no explanation about the delay caused,” Justice Sen observed.
“The court cannot keep its eyes shut and ignore this type of lackluster and shoddy probe. This heinous incident needs immediate investigation to bring to light the correct fact and to book the accused. The way this investigation went on is absolutely unsatisfactory. I think this is a fit case where a special investigation team (SIT) be constituted. I therefore direct the Director General of Police, Jharkhand, to immediately constitute a SIT to investigate the case,” Justice Sen added.
A 19-year-old Dalit woman was gang-raped in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly by four upper-caste men. After fighting for her life for two weeks, she died in a Delhi hospital. The woman’s family alleged that her body was ‘forcefully’ cremated at an ungodly hour by the police.
The incident sent shockwaves across India, and protests seeking justice for the victim’s family were staged in several states.
