Uttar Pradesh has asked the Supreme Court to order a court-monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the Hathras gang-rape case, which has triggered protests across the country, in an affidavit filed before the top court. The state government has already recommended a probe by the central agency.
The state government also said in the affidavit, which was filed on Monday, that the body of the 19-year-old Dalit woman was cremated at night to avoid law and order problems. The government has blamed political parties and civil society organisations for attempting to create a caste divide in the aftermath of the crime in September.
“The district administration took the decision to convince the parents of the victim to cremate her with all religious rites at night to avoid large scale violence in the morning. Once the post mortem of the deceased victim was already conducted at Safdurjung hospital, New Delhi, there cannot be any bad intention on the part of anyone to expedite the cremation except to obviate the political violent situation resulting from planned caste divide by certain vested interests,” the affidavit said.
The affidavit went on to blame the “vicious propaganda” unleashed on social media and by certain sections of print and electronic media and some political parties to deliberately mislead the public and to create caste and communal disharmony in the state.
Besides the Hathras gang-rape, the state has also sought a CBI investigation into the alleged criminal conspiracy to spread caste conflict, instigate violence and into the propaganda unleashed by certain sections of media and political parties.
“The state government is committed to conduct free and fair investigation to reach the truth. The state govt seeks indulgence of this court to direct the CBI to investigate into the incident and into criminal conspiracy to spread caste conflict and instigate violence and incidents of propaganda by certain sections of media and political interests,” the UP government said in the affidavit.
The woman was gang-raped on September 14 and she died in the hospital in New Delhi two weeks later.