TIO
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday evening ordered the suspension of Hathras superintendent of police Vikrant Vir and three other police officers for their handling of the case relating to the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit woman. The chief minister took the decision on the basis of an initial report of the special investigation team that was set up to look into the case, a statement by the Uttar Pradesh government said.
The statement added that it had also been decided that “narco-analysis polygraph tests” would be conducted on all concerned. This decision is expected to include the rape victim’s family as well, particularly in context of the state government’s autopsy report that contradicted the victim’s allegation that she had been gang-raped on 14 September.
The 19-year-old died on Tuesday and according to her family, she was cremated past midnight under alleged pressure from the district administration. This allegation had provoked the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to take cognisance of the case. The judges will hear the case on 12 October.
The UP government’s statement said the Hathras police chief Vikrant Vir was being placed under suspension for “negligence and tardy investigations”. Also to be suspended are the circle officer Ram Shabd, inspector Dinesh Kumar Varma, senior sub-inspector Jagvir Singh and head constable Mahesh Pal.
The chief minister had earlier ordered the special investigation team led by home secretary Bhagwan Swarup to submit its probe report within seven days. But the SIT appears to have been told to come up with a preliminary version in face of escalating protests after the woman’s rushed cremation.
The action against the police officers handling the investigation is seen as an expression of the government’s displeasure at the police officers letting the situation get out of hand and signal that the administration was responsive to the many concerns expressed around the probe.
The announcement was preceded by Yogi Adityanath’s tweet earlier in the day that pledged to ensure exemplary punishment for the guilty in crimes against women.
