NEW DELHI: Stepping up the offensive, the Congress on Monday demanded the dismissal of the district magistrate for allegedly threatening the Hathras victim's family and asked why the SIT was continuing with its probe when a CBI investigation has been sought by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Congress also asked why a judicial probe should not be held to ascertain whether the body allegedly burnt by the cops in the middle of the night is of the 19-year-old woman who was allegedly raped and killed by four upper-caste men.
"The Yogi Adityanath government must immediately dismiss the DM, who is on record, on a video threatening the family and he should not be given any other position till it is thoroughly investigated that at whose instructions and whose behest did the DM go to the victim's family and threatened them in the manner that he did," Congress spokesperson Sushmita Dev said.
On Sunday, the Congress had demanded that the DM be suspended.
Dev also said the family is demanding a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and why such a probe is not being ordered.
"It is crystal clear that from the date the young, helpless girl was raped, that all institutions within the state of UP, whether it is the SIT with senior officers are in cahoots to hush up this matter."
"It is shocking that an SIT was set up after 14 days and after the media and the opposition leaders, specifically Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi met the victim's family in Hathras, as damage control they ordered a CBI inquiry," she told reporters.
She said an important question that arises is that even though a CBI inquiry has been instituted, the central agency has not visited the village.
"The SIT inquiry is still continuing on the ground," she alleged.
The Congress leader said it is "heart breaking" that when the family of the victim is alleging that after the tragic incident of not allowing the family members to go through proper rituals at cremation service, they are now asking proof that the body that was hurriedly cremated was that the body of their daughter.
"In the name of humanity, the family has demanded that if the body was of their daughter then they should be allowed to take the ashes for a dignified ritual, which is part of their custom and their culture.
"We want to ask the Adityanath government that which of these demands is unjustified by the family? Should the DM not be dismissed and investigated? Should there not be a judicial inquiry? Why is the SIT still on the ground, when you have yourself ordered a CBI inquiry," she said.
Dev asked what is it that the Adityanath government is hiding and why should a judicial inquiry not happen in this case.
The Dalit woman from Hathras succumbed at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital to the injuries she suffered in the assault by four upper-caste men in her village in Hathras district on September 14.
The four have been arrested.
The incident triggered outrage across the country after TV footage showed that the local police cremated the body at night.
Her family members alleged they were not allowed to bring the body home one last time, but police claimed they had the family's consent for the cremation.