Hathras gangrape and murder case: Supreme Court declines plea to relocate victim’s family

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court declined to hear a plea seeking relocation of the victim's family from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi in the 2020 Hathras gangrape and murder case, citing ongoing proceedings before the Allahabad High Court. A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Alok Aradhe said it would be inappropriate to intervene since the matter is still under the High Court's review and the petition challenges an interim order from June 2022.

The Court asked the High Court to take up the plea for a contingency plan to ensure the family's safety and pass orders as per law. The petition, filed through Advocate Mahmood Pracha, argued that Rule 15 of the SC/ST Act requires protective measures, including possible relocation outside the state. He also challenged the High Court's refusal to transfer the family to Delhi.

The bench questioned why the petitioner was pursuing parallel remedies while the matter remained pending in the High Court. In response, Pracha said certain reliefs, including relocation outside Uttar Pradesh, had been denied, prompting the move to the Supreme Court. The Uttar Pradesh government submitted that it had offered relocation within the state, such as to Aligarh or Kasganj, and said the issue remains under active consideration. Acknowledging this, the Supreme Court disposed of the petition and directed the High Court to decide the matter expeditiously. (ANI)

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