The Hathras case continues to be top news after Congress and other opposition parties decided to use the case to attack the govt at the state and at the centre. A 19-year-old woman was died after being allegedly sexually assaulted and beaten up by four men in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. The case was probed by an SIT formed by Uttar Pradesh police, but the case has been handed over to CBI by the CM after nationwide focus on the case.
One of the significant aspects in the case is the continuously changing position of the family of the girl. Initially, the family of the victim had levelled only assault charge, and the rape allegation was added a week later. This has created much confusion about the case, as medical and forensic evidence available till now does not support the rape charge. Similarly, the stand of the family on the probe in the case also seems to be changing, especially the position taken by the victim’s brother.
After it was reported yesterday that the case has been handed over to CBI by the state govt, the deceased’s brother said that the family didn’t seek it. As per the reports, the victim’s brother said that they did not demand CBI inquiry as SIT investigation is already underway. Now the family is demanding judicial investigation under the Supreme Court.
We did not demand CBI inquiry in the case as SIT investigation is already underway: Brother of the victim of #HathrasCase on CBI probe ordered by CM Yogi Adityanath pic.twitter.com/uexdkbc75k
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2020
The mother of the victim had also said the same earlier yesterday. The family has also refused to undergo a narco test that was ordered by CM Yogi Adityanath. The Special Investigation Team recommended the test in its preliminary report. The victim’s mother said that her family would not undergo the narco test. However, earlier the family was expressing displeasure over the SIT probe, and had even demanded court-monitored CBI probe.
Dissatisfaction with the SIT
On 1st October, several news agencies reported that the victim’s brother said they are not satisfied with the ongoing investigation. While talking to India Today, the victim’s younger brother said, “We are not satisfied with the investigation at all. We want a CBI investigation in this case. My sister has died; the administration burnt her corpse without even showing her face. How do they think we will be satisfied?”
On 3rd October, the victim’s brother again said that they are not satisfied with the ongoing investigation. As per ANI’s report, he said, “We are not satisfied with the ongoing investigation as we have not got answers to our questions till now. The DM who threatened us openly has not been suspended yet.” CM Yogi Adityanath had given suspension orders for SP, DSP, Inspector and some other officials after SIT’s preliminary report.
Demand of judicial investigation under Supreme Court Judge
On 4th October, the family has demanded judicial investigation under the supervision of a Supreme Court judge as they do not trust any investigation agency, including SIT and CBI, along with the state government. The brother of the victim also demanded suspension of District Magistrate, Hathras.
We want an investigation to be held under a retired Supreme Court judge. We want the #Hathras District Magistrate to be suspended: Brother of the victim in the alleged gangrape case pic.twitter.com/Mv6bbDYmbt
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 4, 2020
Political drama and media trials
The opposition parties on both the local and national level are pumping all the energy in the said case. After the state government allowed media and politicians to meet the victim’s family, the floodgates of politicians and media personnel have opened in the area around the village. Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi had already visited the family. However, before they could reach the family, a video surfaced on social media where they were found giggling during their journey to Hathras.
Eleven members of Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party will meet the family on 4th October. He had earlier raised questions on SIT’s recommendation of the family’s narco test and said only police officers should undergo the test and not the family. TMC’s Derek O’Brien also visited Hathras a couple of days back but was stopped by the police. Just like Rahul Gandhi he also fell after allegedly being pushed by the police.
‘हाथरस कांड’ में मृतका के परिजनों का नहीं बल्कि उन अधिकारियों का नार्को टेस्ट होना चाहिए जिन्होंने इस कांड को अंजाम दिया, जिससे ये सच उजागर हो कि उन्होंने किसके ‘महा-आदेश’ पर ऐसा किया.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) October 3, 2020
असली गुनाहगार कितनी भी परतें ओढ़ लें लेकिन एक दिन सच सामने आयेगा और आज की सत्ता का राज जाएगा.
Recently, OpIndia got hold of few audio recordings where India Today’s journalist Tanushree was heard guiding the victim’s brother to make a video and send it to her. Reporters from several other news agencies were seen trying to intimidate police personnel who stopped them from entering the village.
Hathras Case
The case has attracted a lot of controversies. There has been political mudslinging has been happening around the Hathras case since the victim succumbed to her injuries in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday morning. The victim was allegedly raped two weeks ago. Some reports claimed Hathras Police forcefully cremated the girl on Tuesday night without consent of the family members. The police had later stated that the victim’s father was present during the cremation which attracted nationwide outrage.
Speaking to ANI, ADG Prashant Kumar had informed that the forensic reports that were awaited have also been received. ADG stated that the FSL report found no evidence of ‘rape’. He asserted that it was concluded that there was no sexual assault, and the cause of death was strangulation and injury to the spine.
The police had stated that the victim had bitten her tongue, and had suffered injuries on her spine because of the brutal strangulation. The victim had later stated to the police that she was gang-raped. However, the UP Police have stated that the post mortem report did not mention any injuries that may have indicated rape or sexual assault. ADG Prashant Kumar had stated that the forensic lab report of the samples collected from the victim’s body have ruled out rape or sexual assault.
