No objection to CBI probing rape of MBA student in Haryana university, says SC

New Delhi: The CBI on Friday informed Supreme Court that it has no objection to take over the investigation into the alleged rape of an MBA student of a private university in Haryana. A vacation bench of Justices AK Sikri and UU Lalit took on record the submission made by CBI through Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand and asked the three accused to respond to the notice issued on the plea of the alleged victim that the probe be taken away from the Haryana Police. [caption id=“attachment_2269954” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] The bench granted five days to the expelled students of the Sonepat-based O P Jindal Global University, who are in jail, to respond to the notice even as their counsel alleged political influence in the probe of the case. It posted the matter for hearing on June 4 by taking on record the status report on the probe filed by the state police and directed that it be kept in a sealed cover. The court had on 25 May sought CBI’s response as the alleged victim had pleaded for taking away probe from Haryana police for purportedly not carrying it out in a fair manner. Two days later, the court said all the accused should be served with the notice in judicial custody in Sonepat jail. It also listed Union of India as a party in the case. The Supreme Court had on May 20 agreed to urgently hear the plea of the 21-year old alleged victim, a student of Hissar-based University. She had alleged that she was blackmailed by seniors who took her nude photographs and forced to her to get into physical relationship with them. In a plea argued through senior advocate Indira Jaising, it was alleged that she was repeatedly raped on the campus and outside by three seniors who had threatened to circulate the pictures in public. Jaising had submitted that the police were destroying electronic evidence like laptops and mobile phones through which photographs were shared by the accused with other students. PTI