UP police behaved in suspicious and vicious manner in Hathras case, says fact-finding report

It also claimed that the delay, "rather wastage of time", in medical probe on the sexual assault angle could be "deliberate"

A fact-finding team of activists on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh police of behaving in a "highly suspicious as well as vicious manner" in the Hathras gangrape-cum-murder case by harassing the family. It also questioned why the doctors had not examined anything related to sexual assault until the victim made a statement herself.

The report titled 'Fact-Finding Report on Brutal Gang-rape, Assault and Murder of a Dalit Girl by Upper Caste Thakur Men in Bulgarhi Village, Hathras' also claimed that the delay, "rather wastage of time", in medical probe on the sexual assault angle could be "deliberate" since late examination could not ever prove rape and the "intention obviously could be to miss or lose evidence forever".

Read: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath orders every police station to have women help-desks

It also claimed that the father of the 19-year-old Dalit girl, who was gang-raped allegedly by four upper caste men on September 14 and succumbed to her injuries two weeks later, was pressurised by the district administration the day after the incident that he and the family should convey to all about them being satisfied with the inquiry and the treatment.

"This itself conveys the state was preparing to suppress the truth and close the case forever," the report said. The incident triggered a controversy with the Opposition and activists accusing the UP government of helping the accused go scot-free.

The fact-finding team, which visited the victim's family on October 9, was led by activist Medha Patkar of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) and included Socialist Party (India)'s Sanjay Pandey, activists Mani Mala and Faisal Khan, lawyer Ehtesham Hashmi, Joe Athialy and Amit Kumar of Delhi Solidarity Group, Narmada Bachao Andolan's Hansraj and a student Anand Athialy.

Also read: Hathras rape case: Crucial hospital CCTV footage not available

"There is no doubt that the police of Uttar Pradesh behaved in a highly suspicious as well as vicious manner, beyond anyone’s expectation and they have, thereby created all doubts about their intentions," it said.

The report claimed that there was undue haste in transferring the girl from the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, Aligarh to Delhi though some doctors were of the opinion that she should not be moved until she gained consciousness.

"The family too refused, realising that it was risky to shift her far in that condition. She was in severe pain and couldn't move her neck and back due to a severe nerve injury affecting the spine. The false allegation that her family didn't permit the administration to take her to AIIMS (Delhi) does therefore stands exposed and countered," it said.

She was actually shifted to Safdarjung Hospital, a central government-run hospital adjacent to the AIIMS, and when queried by the family, the report said, they were told that both the hospitals were the same.

Read: Fresh PIL in SC seeks lodging of criminal case against UP officials, doctors in Hathras case

In its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the UP government had claimed that the family had objected to shifting the victim to Delhi.

On the controversial cremation of the victim in the wee hours without seeking the family's consent, the report said that the police sent the family in a van from Delhi to Hathras but having stopped the vehicle away from the cremation ground, the women, vehemently crying, tried to stop and knock at the police van but in vain.

"They wanted possession of the victim's body for their relatives, many of whom were yet to arrive, as also for others concerned since the brutal incident was already in public debate and discussion on social as well as mainstream media. This was turned down by the police, who instead had cordoned the area of cremation and absolutely denied them any right or humane response to their demand for the body to perform final rites," it said.