Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday recommended a CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape and death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman that triggered a nationwide outrage. The decision was announced by the Chief Minister's Office minutes after Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wound up their visit to the home of the victim's family at a village in Hathras district.
Hours earlier, UP Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi and Director General of Police HC Awasthi too had travelled from Lucknow to meet the family. Authorities also allowed the media to enter the village, lifting restrictions imposed earlier.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered that a probe should be conducted by the CBI into the entire Hathras episode, the CM's Office said, its tweet capping a day of protests and criticism over the handling of the case by the BJP government in the state.
In another tweet, Adityanath said the state government is seeking an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation for a probe into all aspects linked to the Hathras episode.
"We are determined to ensure the harshest punishment for all those responsible for this incident," he tweeted in Hindi.
Reacting to the announcement, the victim's family members said they want a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry.
The woman died of her grievous injuries in the early hours of Tuesday at a Delhi hospital, a fortnight after she was attacked. She was cremated in the dead of night near her home on Wednesday. Her family alleged they were forced by local police to hurriedly conduct her last rites.
On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest rally in Kolkata.
"COVID-19 is not a big pandemic. The BJP is the biggest pandemic. It is the biggest pandemic of atrocities against Dalit and backward communities," the Trinamool Congress leader said.
As they came out of the home of the Hathras victim, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi vowed to fight for justice for the woman.
"Yogi Adityanath has to understand his responsibility. He has to understand that wherever injustice happens, we will fight that and stand with the family," Priyanka Gandhi told reporters.
Rahul Gandhi said "no power on earth" can stop the voice of this family. Later on Twitter, he said the UP government will not be able to have its way as the entire country has now risen for justice to "this daughter of the nation".
The 45-minute meeting ended a standoff between the Congress and the UP authorities, which had had scuttled an earlier attempt by the two leaders to travel to Hathras, detaining them and several party workers in Greater Noida outside Delhi on Thursday.
In Hathras, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said orders for the suspension of police personnel, including the superintendent of police, were issued on Friday within two hours of receiving the first report of the Special Investigation Team sent to the village.
"It is an extremely sad incident. We met everyone in the family. We spoke to them and assured them that the strictest action would be taken against all those found guilty," Awasthi said.