CBI recreates Hathras crime scene, quizzes girl’s brother

AGRA: The CBI began its field investigation into the Hathras case on Tuesday by reconstructing the crime scene where the 19-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and assaulted by four upper caste men from the village a month ago. After speaking with the girl’s family and local police, the victim’s elder brother was taken away for four hours.
“The officials had taken me along to get signatures on documents for sealing the evidence they had collected from the cremation site, the can that had been left there and my sister’s slippers,” the brother said.

The 15-member CBI team has been camping at Hathras for the past two days. On Tuesday morning, they started with a visit to the Chandpa police station, where the first FIR had been registered, and questioned the cops there. Around 11am, they moved to the crime spot, mapped the field where the girl was allegedly gang-raped and strangled, and conducted a search operation for any evidence that may have gone unnoticed so far. The victim’s mother and brother were called there to help recreate the scene, which would be based on their statements.
Sources said the CBI team asked the mother, who had been gathering fodder with the girl that morning, how far away she was when her daughter was allegedly gang-raped. She was also asked if someone heard the girl when she called for help, who saw her, in what condition and what was done after that. The elder brother, who was not present in the millet field at the time, according to his statement in the FIR, was asked when he had left, when he came back and who informed him about what had happened. The proceedings were recorded on video.

After more than two and a half hours of investigation and questioning them, the CBI team went to the place where the girl had been cremated by the police on September 30 around 2.40am. The two spots are about a kilometre apart. The victim’s elder brother was called there and questioned again. Remaining ashes were collected from the spot — the brother had gathered ashes earlier — and photographs taken.
Then, the team left for the victim’s house, where they recorded statements of the family members.