LUCKNOW: After two days of siege, as the UP government on Saturday allowed media persons and delegations of political parties to visit the family of the Dalit girl, who died early this week at a Delhi hospital after allegedly being gang-raped, in a Hathras village on September 14, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi and three Congress leaders met the victim’s family at their house on Saturday evening.
The Congress leaders held a closed-door meeting with the victim’s family for around 30 minutes with media persons taken out of the house. The sources claimed that the Congress leaders consoled the family and assured them their support in the fight for justice.
Earlier in the day, Additional chief secretary (ACS), home, Awanish Awasthi, and DGP HC Awasthy visited the victim's family and assured them of quick and stern action against the culprits and full justice to them.
Later, addressing a press conference in Hathras, Awasthi said that five-member delegations of political parties were allowed to visit the family at Boolgarhi village of the victim.
Following this, Congress ex-president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, along with party’s three senior members -- KC Venugopal, PL Punia, and Mukul Vasnik -- met the family in their village on Saturday evening.
UP DGP and ACS reached Hathras and visited the victim's family in the afternoon. During the visit, first by such high-ranking officials in the face of the tragedy, in a bid to assuage the grieving family, both the officials squatted on the ground with them and heard them patiently for an hour.
The media was also allowed to enter the village on Saturday this morning as the borders re-opened 48 hours after the village was sealed.
Later talking to media persons at Hathras SP office, ACS Awansih Awasthi said: "We have spoken to the family members and assured them that we will investigate the case properly and ensure full justice to them. The Chief Minister has already formed a special investigation team (SIT) and a woman officer is also a part of the team. While the action has already been taken against district police officials on the basis of the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) report furnished by the SIT, its first full report will be out by tomorrow 4 pm."
The ACS claimed that he and DGP heard the victim’s family patiently and noted all their grievances and concerns. “We assured the family that all their concerns will be addressed to their satisfaction and strictest action will be taken against those found guilty,” said Awasthi adding that all the concerns of
the grieving family were already conveyed to the SIT.
He also said that for now the family would be given 24X7 security and the security of the village would also be permanent to check any possible caste conflict. “We met the public representatives as well and urged them to help maintain peace and tranquillity in the district,” said Awasthi.
Both the high ranking officers were expected to submit a report on their visit to the CM by Saturday evening.
The family of the victim, while meeting the officers, alleged multiple lapses on the part of the police and district administration throughout the case. They raised questions over hurried cremation by the cops. "We want to know whose body was burnt on that day. And if it was our sister's body then why did they burn her (the body) in this manner? All of us requested the police and the administration to allow us to see her one last time," said the victim's brother while talking to officers. They also accused district officials of locking the family up in their home and taking away their phones.
On the other, UP cabinet minister for social welfare and SC/ST (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) welfare Ramapati Shastri on Saturday launched a counter-attack on the Opposition parties over the issue by claiming that the opposition was behaving irresponsibly, and it wanted to throw the state into a caste conflagration.
In a televised statement, Shashtri said: “The Opposition has adopted a completely irresponsible approach and it does not want the truth to come out. The Dalit woman’s honour is not dear to the Opposition. The Opposition deliberately wants to foment caste riots”.
“Behan Mayawati (BSP chief) is a former chief minister. She should have understood the seriousness of the matter. The medical, post-mortem examination and forensic reports gave ‘negative report’ (indicating there was no rape). Still she, by giving irresponsible statements on social media, has been insulting the victim. The CM has already constituted SIT (special investigation team) and action has begun on the preliminary report of SIT. This initiative of the government will bring out the truth,” he added.
The minister questioned the opposition’s objection to Narco Analysis and polygraphic tests. “Tweets, audio-tapes, old incidents of the Opposition point towards a caste riots conspiracy. Hathras is only an excuse,” alleged Shastri.