SC for wider probe into UP highway gangrape

UP minister Azam Khan says Bulandshahar gangrape was politically motivated. The petitioner also prayed for registration of an FIR against Mr Khan for his utterances.

Taking a serious view of Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan’s statement that the “Bhulandshahar gangrape” incident on July 28 was a “political conspiracy and nothing else”, the Supreme Court on Monday sought his response in three weeks. It also stayed all investigation by the state police on the FIR registered on the incident.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and S. Nagappan, passed an order enlarging the scope of the writ petition filed by Kaushal Kishor, whose wife and daughter were gangraped, demanding a CBI probe into the gruesome incident on the National Highway.

The bench appointed senior counsel and eminent lawyer Fali Nariman to render assistance in this case as important issues had arisen for consideration.

Counsel Kislay Pandey along with counsel Manju Sharma submitted that the petitioner was disillusioned about the process of fair investigation in Uttar Pradesh because of various developments and, more so, with regard to the public addresses made by Mr Khan and, therefore, the case needs to be transferred to CBI and to another state. The petitioner also prayed for registration of an FIR against Mr Khan for his utterances.