The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that the Uttar Pradesh police may conduct probe into a rape case lodged against a man, whose sister had sought protection against an alleged khap panchayat diktat. It also let the police carry on with its probe in a drug case pending against the man. In the plea before the top court, the Dalit woman alleged that the khap in Baghpat district had ruled that she and her sister be raped as punishment because their brother reportedly eloped with a married woman from the Jat community in the same village. The woman had also sought protection for her family and stay on the criminal proceedings against them. [related-post] Following a chamber hearing on Wednesday, a bench of Justice J Chelameswar and Justice Abhay M Sapre said the investigation of the rape case lodged against the man by the married woman and also the drug case "may go on if the state is convinced that the matter requires investigation." But it restrained the police from filing a final report in the trial court without its permission. The bench also modified the bail condition of the youth, who has been in jail since May 28 following his arrest in the drug case. Subsequently, he was also charged with rape by the woman who had reportedly run away with him twice. The bench ordered his release on a personal bond along with a similar surety amount by his brother. It further asked Uttar Pradesh police to respond within four weeks to the petition by the Dalit woman.
