SIT formed to probe case; lawyers refuse to represent accused

Raipur: Durg Superintendent of police has constituted a Speacial Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure a thorough probe and fast-track prosecution in the horrific rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl by her uncle, in the district. On the other hand, BJP MLA Rikesh Sen stated that he has formed a panel of five Supreme Court lawyers to fight the case.
Durg SP Jitendra Shukla has said in an order that the SIT will be led by Padmashri Tanwar, additional SP, Investigative Units on Crime Against Women (IUCAW), who will supervise the collection of all critical evidence and the presentation of a charge sheet in the fast-track court.
The move is aimed at expediting justice in a case that has sparked public outrage and demands for exemplary punishment.
While the Durg Bar Association refused to represent the accused, signalling strong unity from all corners, Vaishali Nagar MLA Rikesh Sen said that he was returning from Delhi and he has formed a panel of five Supreme Court lawyers to fight the case. He said that he will arrange the cost of lawyers' fees with the help of public support, while a lawyer in Durg and his team will also look into the case for free.
With the SIT now in action, expectations are high that the case will move swiftly through the legal system, and the family of the young victim will receive the justice they deserve.
The SIT team includes inspector Shiv Prasad Chandra, in-charge, Mohan Nagar Police Station, inspector Shraddha Pathak, in-charge, women's police station and two sub-inspectors and ASI and a head constable.
The case was registered at Mohan Nagar Police Station under crime number 133/25 under Sections 137(2) of the BNS, and the investigation is underway under additional serious charges, section 103(1), 64(2)(F), 65(2), 66, 238(A) BNS, and Section 6 of the POCSO Act.
The heinous nature of the crime — committed by the child's own uncle — has deeply shocked the community. Massive protests had erupted in Durg, with parents and locals demanding death penalty for the accused and quicker justice.
In a meeting of District Advocates Association, the brutality done to the innocent was strongly condemned and it was unanimously decided that no advocate of the association will defend the accused. The association clearly said that such a criminal should not get any sympathy in the society and he should be given the harshest punishment, so that in future anyone thinks a hundred times before doing such a heinous act.
The secretary of the association Ravi Shankar Singh has issued information in this regard and appealed to all the advocates of the district to stay away from defending the accused of the murder of the innocent.