Hapur lynching: SC notice to UP on survivors’ plea

New Delhi, August 13

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on a petition filed by three survivors of the Hapur lynching case seeking a court-monitored probe by a special investigation team (SIT) in the incident.
The petitioners have sought cancellation of bail granted to two of the four accused and transferring the trial to a court outside Uttar Pradesh.
A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra asked Inspector General of Police (IGP), Meerut Range, to file a report on the issue in two weeks.
The Bench–which also included Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud–ordered the IGP to arrange recording of statements of the three petitioners under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code before a Judicial Magistrate.
The Bench also directed the Superintendent of Police concerned to provide security to the injured survivors–now witnesses in the case–after senior counsel KV Viswanathan submitted that it was necessary to instil a sense of security in them.
The Bench refused to allow the accused to intervene in the case.
The incident occurred on June 18–a day after the SC issued guidelines to check lynchings–when one of the survivors–65-year-old Samaydeen was with 45-year-old meat trader Qasim Qureishi. An alleged mob of “gau-rakshaks” attacked them for allegedly killing a cow. Video-recording of the incident showed that both Qureishi and the petitioner were beaten up and the petitioner’s beard was pulled. Qureishi died in the incident.
Last week, advocate Vrinda Grover had mentioned the survivors’ plea before the CJI’s Bench which had posted it for hearing on Monday.
The petitioners alleged that the police violated the Supreme Court’s verdict in the mob lynching case. They had raised questions over the conduct of the police as the FIR described the crime as as road rage.
The petitioners said they apprehened threat to their lives.
The police FIR named one Yudhishthir Singh Sisodia as the main accused. Four people were arrested but Sisodia was let off on bail a few days later. He had claimed that he was not present at the spot. But a sting conducted by a TV news channel showed him talking about the crime.