NEW DELHI/ MEERUT: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear on August 13 the plea of a survivor of the Hapur lynching case, seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into the incident in which one person was killed allegedly on suspicion of being involved in cow slaughter. The SC decision comes a day after a TV sting showed the main accused Rakesh Sisodiabragging about his role in the gruesome lynching.

The plea in SC has also sought cancellation of bail of the accused and transfer of case outside UP. Samiuddin, 64, and Qasim Qureshi were allegedly severely beaten in Hapur on June 18 by a group of people who alleged that they were involved in cow slaughter. Both received injuries and Qureshi died later.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of advocate Vrinda Grover , appearing for victim Samiuddin, that the matter required urgent hearing. A leading news channel had on Monday telecast a sting showing Sisodia, who is out on bail, bragging about his role in the lynching. Sisodia is shown telling the undercover reporter how he got a hero’s welcome after he got bail in the last week on July.

The expose puts police, which has already been facing severe criticism for shoddy probe in the case, in a tight spot again. “I saw the video where the accused is talking about his role. We will discuss with the prosecutor if this piece of evidence could be used against Sisodia,” Hapur SP Sankalp Sharma said. In the sting, Sisodia can also be heard casting aspersions on the role of police. “Police paksh mein hai aur ye sab (ho) raha sarkaar ke dum (se). Warna police paksh me nai rahti agar Azam Khan baithaa hua rahta (police are on our side because of the government. Otherwise, nothing would've happened if Azam Khan was in power),” he said.

