UP gets SC notice in Hapur lynching case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court issued a notice on Monday to the Uttar Pradesh Government on a petition filed by a survivor of the Hapur lynching seeking a courtmonitored probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the incident.

Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra’s bench, sought a report within two weeks on the incident from inspector general of police (IGP), Meerut Range.

The Bench — which also included Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud — ordered the IGP to issue suitable directions to the competent authority to approach the Magistrate for recording statements of witnesses under oath. This was ordered on a request of the petitioner, Samaydeen, not to let the investigating officer do the recording.

The superintendent of police concerned was also told to provide security to the injured survi- vors — now witnesses in the case — after senior counsel KV Viswanathan, arguing for Samaydeen, submitted that it was necessary to instil a sense of security. The court remarked : “They should not remain in a state of fear.”

The bench declined to hear the accused. The petition has also asked that the bail granted to two of the four accused be cancelled and that the trial be transferred to a court outside Uttar Pradesh.

On June 18 — a day after SC issued guidelines to check the growth in lynchings — 45-yearold meat trader Qasim Qureshi was attacked by a mob of gau rakshaks for allegedly killing a cow. Samaydeen was accompanying Qureshi at the time.

The FIR filed in the case names Yudhishthir Singh Sisodia as the prime accused. Four others were also arrested but Sisodia was let off on bail after he denied in court that he was present during the incident being at the spot. However, in a sting operation conducted by a TV channel he boasted of having participated.