Lawyers offer help, girl’s family again wants CBI probe
June 16th, 2011 - 4:07 pm ICT by IANSLakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), June 16 (IANS) As her family yet again pressed for a CBI probe Thursday, a group of lawyers here offered free legal help to the impoverished family of a 14-year-old who was allegedly raped and murdered at a police station here.
“After a meeting with the lawyers in this district, it has been unanimously decided that members of our association would provide all necessary legal assistance to the victim’s family which cannot afford to hire prominent lawyers owing to its poor financial condition,” said Rajiv Shukla, vice president of the local lawyers’ association.
“We want to speed up justice and ensure that all those involved in the crime face stringent punishment. A team of lawyers would soon visit the victim’s family to apprise of our decision,” he told reporters.
The girl’s body was found hanging from a tree June 10 night inside the Nighasan police station premises in Lakhimpur-Kheri district, around 200 km from Lucknow. The death was initially dismissed by police as suicide, but a second autopsy confirmed the girl was strangled.
The victim’s father Thursday reiterated that the family wants a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the murder case as it was not satisfied with the police investigations.
“My daughter was raped by the policemen… It is being concealed by those investigating the case. The CBI should be asked to carry out the inquiry at the earliest,” said the victim’s father, a construction worker.
“I want justice… We want death penalty for the policemen involved in the crime,” he added.
As many as 11 policemen at the police station, a senior police officer and three doctors who conducted the first autopsy have been suspended.
On Wednesday, Mayawati said she was not opposed to a CBI probe but feared the case “may be botched up” by the central agency.
“We don’t oppose the CBI investigating the case as such but the government fears the case may be botched up,” she said.
The Uttar Pradesh Police Crime Branch is now investigating the case.
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- Mayawati orders probe into girl's death at police station (Lead) - Jun 13, 2011
- Mayawati suspends police officer in girl's murder (Third Lead) - Jun 15, 2011
- Kheri rape: Doctors charged with fudging autopsy - Jul 12, 2011
- Murdered girl's mother wants CBI probe, Mayawati says 'no' (Roundup) - Jun 15, 2011
- Mayawati orders probe into girl's death at police station - Jun 13, 2011
- Lakhimpur-Kheri girl's parents demand CBI probe (Lead) - Jun 16, 2011
- Minor's rape, murder: Uttar Pradesh doctors may face action - Jun 16, 2011
- Court questions Uttar Pradesh on police station death - Jul 04, 2011
- Rahul for CBI probe into girl's murder in police station (Second Lead) - Jun 30, 2011
- Police misinterpreted girl's autopsy: Suspended doctor - Jun 15, 2011
- BJP demands third autopsy of murdered UP girl - Jun 14, 2011
Tags: autopsy, cbi inquiry, cbi probe, central bureau of investigation, construction worker, death penalty, free legal help, hanging from a tree, kheri district, lawyers association, legal assistance, lucknow, Mayawati, murder case, police investigations, police officer, police station, policemen, rajiv shukla, uttar pradesh