India's apex court asks Allahabad court to monitor probe in Hathras case

New Delhi - The top court in India also stated that the question of transferring the trial outside the State of Uttar Pradesh is left open.

The Indian Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh to monitor the ongoing the CBI probe into the Hathras gang-rape and murder case.

According to a report on legal portal livelaw.com, the top court in India also stated that the question of transferring the trial outside the State of Uttar Pradesh is left open.

The bench also took note of the submission of the Solicitor General of India that the order passed by the Allahabad High Court had disclosed details about the victim and her family members. The court asked the Allahabad High Court to remove the facts disclosing the details of the victim from the order.

Earlier, the CBI had taken over the investigation from the UP police on the basis of a recommendation made by the Uttar Pradesh Government. The gangrape and murder of the Dalit girl, allegedly by some upper-caste neighbours, created uproar across the country after negligence by the state police.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta had informed a bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, AS Bopanna and V. Ramasubramaniun that affidavits had been filed on behalf of the state stipulating the witness protection plan as well as choice of legal representation by the victims' family in terms of an earlier order by the Supreme Court. The family of the victim demanded protection by central police force, instead of the UP Police.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve appearing for the Director General of Police (UP) said that he had no problem with the witnesses being protected by the CRPF.

• India