The Allahabad High Court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to decide on relocating the family of the Hathras rape victim. The court emphasized ensuring the family’s safety and security amid ongoing concerns. The directive follows the family’s plea for protection and a secure environment. The case has drawn widespread attention, highlighting the need for justice and victim support.
The Allahabad High Court at the Lucknow Bench instructed the Hathras District Magistrate to expedite any response to the victim family’s request for relocation, particularly in light of ongoing Supreme Court proceedings.
The family filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) seeking relocation to Delhi. This case arises from a suo-motu action concerning the aftermath of the 2020 Hathras incident, which drew significant public outrage.
The bench, consisting of Justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh, addressed the family’s plea for relocation due to safety concerns. Senior Advocate Mahmood Pracha, representing the family, argued for their move to Ghaziabad or Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
The court noted the procedural requirement that the family had not yet submitted a formal application to the Hathras District Magistrate. Consequently, the bench urged the family to file the necessary application and directed the District Magistrate to promptly review and decide on it. If the matter exceeds the District Magistrate’s jurisdiction, it should be escalated to the state government for swift resolution.
State counsel, Adv Pranjal Krishna, informed the court that related issues are currently under consideration by the Supreme Court. The court affirmed that the ongoing SLP would not hinder its efforts to provide immediate relief at the state level, stating that the current order is issued without prejudice to the pending Supreme Court case.
This directive comes after significant delays since February 2024, when the family’s relocation was first proposed. The bench emphasized the urgency of the matter, ordering state authorities to report on progress by January 8, 2025, with the next hearing set to assess compliance.
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In October 2020, the Allahabad High Court took suo motu cognizance of the alleged forced cremation of a gang rape victim by UP police at 2 AM in Hathras, instead of returning her body to her family. The high court has extensively addressed this matter, and in a July 26, 2022 order, it directed the State Government to consider employment for one of the deceased victim’s family members.
The trial for the rape and murder case concluded with a judgment on March 2, 2023, convicting one of the accused, Sandeep, under Section 304 part-I of the IPC and Section 3(ii)(v) of the SC/ST Act, 1989, while the other three accused were acquitted.