The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday filed 19 FIRs in connection with the Hathras case. Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General of Police, law and order, claimed a pre-planned conspiracy to push the state into turmoil. The state police was facing a barrage of criticism from the opposition ranks over its handling of the case.
“Under a pre-planned conspiracy, few political workers were involved in disturbing law and order situation in Hathras. They even spread rumours to incite general public. We have registered cases under relevant sections against them,” Kumar said.
He informed that police have listed sedition, conspiracy, and promoting religious hatred in the western Uttar Pradesh district.
“We have also registered case against few for trying to disturb communal harmony by circulating a viral audio related to inciting Hathras victim’s family, pressuring them for making wrong statements and enticing them with Rs 50 lakh offer,” the top cop said, adding that five persons have been arrested so far in connection with the case.
The police’s action comes a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed that the Hathras incident was being exploited by those who were upset at his government’s performance in the country’s most populous state. He even asked BJP workers to expose those who want to incite caste and communal riots.
“Those who do not like development, they want to incite caste and communal riots in the country and state and want to stop development,” Adityanath had said.
The 20-year-old woman was assaulted by four upper caste men at her village on September 14 and left with horrific wounds including fractures, a spinal injury that left her paralysed and a gash in her tongue. The UP police, accused of a slow response to the woman’s complaint, has alleged that there was no rape or gang rape involved and that a forensic report proves it. That claim has been questioned by experts who point out that the samples were taken 11 days after the woman was attacked.
Yogi Adityanath’s administration has also been accused of trying to cover up the crime blamed on upper caste Thakurs. After the woman’s death, the UP police took away her body and forcibly cremated it at 2.30 am, refusing to hand it over to her family.