Hathras case: CBI files chargesheet; 4 accused persons charged with gangrape & murder

On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a chargesheet against 4 accused in the Hathras gangrape case before a special court in Lucknow. Charges of gangrape, murder and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been invoked against the accused persons- Sandeep, Luvkush, Ravi, and Ramu, who were put through several forensic tests at the Forensic Science Laboratory in Gandhinagar. The CBI team not only met doctors at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital where the victim was treated but also recorded statements of her family members.

Moreover, the special court took cognizance of the chargesheet. On Wednesday, the CBI sought more time from the Allahabad High Court to conclude its investigation after which the matter was adjourned till January 27, 2021. In its order dated October 12, the HC prima facie held that the late-night cremation of the Hathras gangrape victim without her family's consent is an "infringement of human rights". 

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Hathras gangrape case

A 19-year-old woman in a village in UP's Hathras district was reported to have been brutally gangraped by 4 men when she was collecting fodder for her cattle on September 14. The victim, who was initially admitted to a local hospital in Hathras was shifted for further treatment to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, September 29. Four persons have been arrested by the police in this case.

Amid huge protests outside the hospital demanding justice for the deceased woman, her body was brought to the village by the police at around 12.45 am on Wednesday, September 30. In an official statement, the Hathras Police refuted reports that the body was forcefully cremated in the dead of the night without conducting the final rites. However, the victim's family claimed that its request for the body to be taken to the house and carrying out the cremation after sunrise was turned down by the police.

Initially, the UP government constituted a three-member SIT to probe the case. On the basis of the first report submitted by the SIT, Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir, Commanding Officer Ram Shabd, Inspector Dinesh Kumar Verma, Sub Inspector Jagveer Singh and Head Constable Mahesh Pal were suspended. On the other hand, the CBI commenced its investigation after formally registering an FIR into the Hathras gangrape incident on October 11. 

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