The court made these comments when hearing a writ from the victim’s father. (Representative)
Ranchi:
Jharkhand High Court arrested state police for their “poor and mediocre investigation” into the alleged rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl earlier in the year, and said places like Hathras did not exist only in Uttar Pradesh in this state too.
The court also ordered DGP M V Rao to form a special investigative team to examine the case.
According to an FIR filed on March 30, the accused had poured kerosene oil on the girl, a resident of Giridih, and set her on fire. His father said the family grabbed the accused as he tried to escape, but his relatives came to his aid.
Judge Ananda Sen, while hearing a written petition filed by the father on Thursday, said the autopsy report suggested the girl suffered 100 percent burns, her body was charred, but the investigation into the The affair had been conducted in a “” casual manner.
He also said that the shocking incident prompted the court to say that “Hathras (like places) is not only in Uttar Pradesh state, but also in Jharkhand state”.
“Surprisingly, quite shockingly, the victim’s swab was not sent to the lab until May 20. Throughout the diary of the case, there is no explanation for the delay caused,” observed Judge Sen.
The court cannot keep its eyes closed and ignore this type of “dull and shoddy” probe, he said.
“This heinous incident requires immediate investigation to shed light on the exact fact and register the accused. The manner in which this investigation was conducted is absolutely unsatisfactory.
“I think this is an appropriate case where a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is formed. So I ask the Director General of Police, Jharkhand, to immediately set up a SIT to investigate the case,” added Judge Sen.
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 “forcibly” cremated at an unholy hour by police.
The incident sent shock waves through India and protests for justice were organized in several states.
