UP Government files affidavit in the SC citing reason behind mid-night cremation of Hathras rape victim

New Delhi: The Yogi government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in regards with gang rape and death case of a Dalit girl in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. In this affidavit, UP government has stated the reason for cremating the dead body of the victim at night. It claimed, victim was cremated at around 2.30 am with the permission of the family in order to avoid violence. The UP government has also mentioned Babri Masjid, COVID-19 and Bhima Army in its affidavit.

The UP government in order told the Supreme Court to maintain law and order and avoid violence; the dead body of the victim was cremated at night. UP government affidavit, blames political parties and civil society organizations for attempting caste division.

The 4 upper caste men gang- raped 9-year-old Dalit teen in Hathras district of UP on 14 September.  The girl died two weeks later on 29 September at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Thereafter, the police cremated the dead body at night hastily, after which country wide protests were led.

The UP government has stated in point number 10 of its affidavit that there were many other reasons to cremate the victim’s body at night. The Uttar Pradesh government has also mentioned keeping districts on high alert due to the Babri Masjid case and not allowing the crowd to gather due to Coronavirus. It said that in view of the sensitivity of the verdict in the Ayodhya-Babri case and the Corona Protocol, the victim was cremated at 2.30 pm on the will of the family.

The government said that the body of the victim left Delhi at 9:30 pm and reached Hathras village at 12.45 pm. During this time along with the police, the victim’s father and brother were also present. It said that Bhima Army chief Chandrashekhar and his members were in large numbers and were obstructing the police in evacuating the ambulance. When the victim’s body arrived, there were around 200-250 people present and the police were controlling the crowd. They intercepted the ambulance and laid siege to prevent the victim from cremation. The body was with the family until 2.30.

The UP government added, “Since September 29, the Hathras administration had received many such intelligence inputs that there was a sit-in demonstration outside Safdarjung Hospital and efforts were being made to give political and communal color to the matter”.

Further it said, “On the night of 29, it was reported that lakhs of people from both communities would gather in the village in the morning of 30th September. This increased the possibility of violence and created law and order problems. The UP government said that the districts were put on high alert due to the hearing of the Babri demolition case.