Badaun rape case: CBI files objection on protest appeal

CBI has filed objection on the protest appeal of the family members of two teenage cousin sisters, who were allegedly raped and hanged from a tree in May last year.

The victims’ counsel Kokab Hasan Naqvi said CBI has filed its 28-page objection on the protest appeal filed by the family members of the two sisters.

However, it was immediately not clear on what grounds the investigative agency has now moved an objection.

Naqvi said that argument in the case could be done only after examining the points raised in CBI’s objection on which POCSO judge Anil Kumar fixed March 30 as the next date of hearing.

Family members of the two teenage girls had moved the court challenging the closure report filed by CBI in the case.

The protest petition was filed in the court of Additional District Judge (POCSO Act) Anil Kumar on February 19.

CBI had filed the closure report on December 11 claiming that the girls had committed suicide and they were neither raped nor murdered.

Later, on February 5, the agency submitted evidences in a POCSO court to corroborate its closure report.

The agency had submitted 91-page report, including 34-page closure report, two pages each of the post mortem examination of both the girls, four pages containing the list of witnesses, while the remaining pages had statements of the witnesses, DNA, forensic and status reports, among others.

The agency had filed its report saying there was no forensic or circumstantial evidence suggesting rape and murder as alleged in the FIR registered by Uttar Pradesh Police after the girls’ bodies were found hanging from a tree in Katra village on May 28 last year.

CBI had said that the girls committed suicide fearing retribution as the elder girl’s affair with a local boy from a different caste had come to light.

The girls’ families had alleged that they were kidnapped and murdered by five youths from the village.

The incident sparked an outcry in the country and abroad with questions being raised over the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

The agency had closed the investigation after dropping charges against five persons — Pappu, Awadhesh and Urvesh Yadav (brothers) and police constables Chhatrapal Yadav and Sarvesh Yadav — named as prime accused by the state police in the case.

Source:: Indian Express