The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the body of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died on 29 September after brutal torture and alleged gangrape by four upper-caste men in Hathras district, was cremated at night to avoid “large-scale violence”.
The state government also said that despite its “diligent probe” into the Hathras case, “different false narratives started gaining momentum at the behest of some vested interests”.
The Yogi Adityanath government in an affidavit further recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case as it would obviate hindrance being created by certain vested interests in the fair and impartial investigation.
The state government said an investigation by the Central agency in the case will “ensure that no vested interests will be able to create a fake and false narrative with oblique motives”
The affidavit said the state government has already requested the Central government to take over the investigation through CBI.
In the affidavit to the apex court, the state also claimed the victim’s family was present for the cremation and “agreed to attend to avoid further violence”, reports The Indian Express.
As per NDTV, the state government justified the 2.30 am cremation by saying there was a high alert in the district because of the Babri mosque verdict a day later and coronavirus safety rules. The cremation was performed with “full rites and customs” at night only to maintain law and order, the affidavit claimed.
It told the Supreme Court that the district administration of Hathras had been receiving “several intelligence inputs since the morning of 29 September of the manner in which the dharna had taken place at Safdarjung hospital and the whole issue was being exploited and a caste/communal colour was being given”.
The state claimed it had received specific inputs that lakhs of protestors of both communities/castes along with supporters of political parties and media would assemble the next morning at the village “which is likely to turn violent and will lead to major law and order problems”, reported NDTV.
Meanwhile, a Special Investigation Team investigating the case, visited the crime scene on Tuesday morning. The panel, formed by the Yogi Adityanath government, will submit its report on Wednesday.
The Dalit teen had died of grievous injuries in a Delhi hospital on 29 September, a fortnight after she was allegedly raped at her village by four upper-caste men.
Besides the alleged gang-rape case, the state government has also sought a CBI probe into the FIR related to the alleged criminal conspiracy to spread caste conflict, instigating violence, incidents of vicious propaganda by sections of media and political interests.
On Monday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political opponents of attempting to conspire against it by “trying to lay a foundation for caste and communal riots through international funding”, reported ANI.
The state government filed an FIR against unknown persons for attempting to trigger 'caste-baste conflict'.
The remarks came after nationwide anger and protests to demand justice for the family of the Dalit woman. The case has attracted national attention after the victim, who was raped and sustained grievous injuries on 14 September, succumbed in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on 29 September.
The manner in which police cremated the victim's body, allegedly without consent from her family, has sparked outrage online and in the press and spurred protests across the country from activists, Opposition parties and Dalit leaders.
With inputs from PTI
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/34s5ryZ
No comments:
Post a Comment