The Uttar Pradesh government has requested the Supreme Court to monitor the CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape and murder of the 19-year-old Dalit woman who had died at a hospital in Delhi on 29 September, two weeks after the alleged assault.
The UP government also informed the apex court that the victim’s family has been given three-layered security.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) began its probe into the case on Tuesday. The CBI officials visited the crime scene and spoke to the victim’s family, about a month after she was allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men. The team also visited the site where the victim was cremated ‘dead-at-night’ by the Uttar Pradesh administration that has been heavily criticised and led to protests across the country.
The state government has requested the top court to direct the agency to submit fortnightly reports to it so that they can be filed in the Supreme Court through the police chief.
The UP administration has filed an affidavit in compliance with the October 6 direction of the apex court dealing with the security arrangements made for the victim’s family by the administration.
In the affidavit, the state government said that it had deployed sufficient policemen to ensure protection to the family members and closed-circuit television (CCTV) has been installed to keep round-the-clock surveillance around their house in Boolgarhi village.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on October 15.
“An Inspector General of Police has been made in-charge of the security arrangement. He shall supervise the police force and oversee security arrangements on a daily basis,” said the affidavit.
The UP State administration also said that the security personnel deployed in the village have been issued strict instructions about their duties and that the family’s privacy should not be intruded. The victim’s family members are free to move around and meet the people they want, the affidavit said.
The Uttar Pradesh government has come under heavy fire for its handling of the case and the late night cremation of the deceased leading to widespread protests across the country