Rahul to meet family of Hathras rape-murder case victim

Hathras: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Hathras on Thursday to meet the family of a Dalit woman who had died allegedly after gangrape in September 2020, Congress members said.

Police stepped up deployment of personnel in and around Bool Garhi village in Chandpa area of Hathras in light to the expected visit of the opposition leader.

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in Lucknow confirmed that Rahul Gandhi would be visiting the family in Bool Garhi, Hathras.

In Hathras, local Congress leader Chandragupt Vikramaditya said, “Rahul ji and Priyanka ji are the leaders who are in touch with aggrieved people across the country. Rahul ji has been in touch with this family also.” Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said Rahul Gandhi “is confused” and “not aware of the status of the case”.

Referring to the ostensible reason for Gandhi’s visit, Pathak said, “The CBI has already conducted an inquiry into this case and in BJP rule no culprit is allowed to get away scot free.” “Whether Sambhal or Hathras, he (Gandhi) keeps visiting them just to be in limelight and not for any other reason,” the senior BJP leader added.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had met the family on October 3, 2020 and declared that they will fight for ensuring justice to the deceased.

The 19-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped on September 14, 2020. She was moved to Aligarh for treatment and later to Delhi, where she died on September 29, 2020.

She was cremated in the early hours of October 30, with her family alleging the local police had forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night. Local police officers, however, had told PTI that the cremation was carried out “as per the wishes of the family”.

After an initial police probe in the matter, the CBI had taken over the investigation into the case and filed a charge sheet against all four accused.