'UP Police should go to any extent to ensure justice for victims': CM Yogi on Hathras case

Amid the severe backlash over the horrific Hathras gangrape incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday, October 3, said that it is the duty of the administration to punish the criminals. The Chief Minister maintained that the police force should go to any extent in order to give justice to people adding that the government might have to change the way punishments are made.

While addressing a presser, the Chief Minister said, "UP Police is the largest police force in the country. We might change the way punishments should be made. On one hand, we have to be strict with criminals and on the other hand, we have to be soft with the victims. To give justice to people police force should go to any extend".

On Friday, the CM also vowed to set an example with the strictest punishment. Assuring 'sisters and mothers' of Uttar Pradesh, he said that his administration was committed to their safety and development.

READ |Congress student wing in Kerala burn effigy of UP CM Yogi Adityanath over Hathras incident

UP Govt suspends Hathras SP and 4 others

Cracking down on negligent police officers, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has suspended five police officers - district's Police Superintendent (SP) Vikrant Vir, Commanding officer Ram Shabd, Inspector Dinesh Kumar Verma, Sub Inspector Jagveer Singh, and Head Constable Mahesh Pal based on the preliminary report submitted by the SIT. Moreover, all officers involved in the case will have to undertake narco and polygraph tests, as ordered by the Chief Minister. The 3-member SIT constituted by Adityanath will submit its complete report in 7 days and an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh, a house along with a government job to one family member of the victim has been announced.

READ | Ranvir Shorey trolls '3 Fake Gandhis' as Youth Congress protest Hathras case in Delhi

About Hathras rape case

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped by four men in Hathras which has sparked a major protest. The victim was allegedly raped in Hathras on September 14 in a field, leaving her in a critical condition. When her condition worsened, she was referred to AIIMS but was admitted to Safdarjung hospital in Delhi on Monday with spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and cuts in her tongue. She died around 3 am on Tuesday, but her autopsy report has no mention of rape. Police have claimed that the Hathras gangrape victim was 'not raped' after the postmortem report stated 'neck injury and trauma' as the cause of death and that no traces of sperm were found in her private parts.

The case took an ugly turn when UP police cremated the victim's body at 2:30 AM on Wednesday, allegedly without the family's consent, which has been refuted by the police. The Allahabad High Court has taken a suo moto cognizance of the case and sought a response from senior state officials by October 12. 

READ | UP Congress chief put under house arrest ahead of Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Hathras

READ |UP minister reveals Hathras SP & 4 cops suspended primarily for victim's midnight funeral