UP's Hathras rape victim 'forcibly' cremated in dead of night

Lucknow: Protest and outrage over the death of a 19-year old Dalit gangrape victim from Hathras amplified on Wednesday after the victim’s kin alleged the administration forcibly cremated her in the dead of night at 2:30 am and video footage from multiple sources suggested the same. The local administration and UP police, however, denied the allegations.

The government formed a special investigation team to probe the gangrape case and said the matter will be pursued in a fast-track court. Under fire from all quarters, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said PM Modi spoke to him and directed him to take the strictest action against the culprits. He also spoke to the father of the deceased and promised the harshest punishment to the criminals and said all possible help will be extended by the government, said additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Awasthi.

After a day marked with widespread protests, the mortal remains of the victim were brought to her village Chandpa on Tuesday night. The family said they had wished to bring the body home and cremate the girl in the morning in the presence of their relatives and kin, according to Hindu rituals, but the administration “pressurised” them and the girl was cremated in the night itself, by the police officials, without the presence of even her most immediate family members, including her father.


Prashant Kumar, ADG (law and order), said in a statement that it was because the body was “putrefying” that the cremation was done at night. He said, however, the consent of the family was taken and the details of the post-mortem would be out soon. “The BJP government has both sinned and committed a crime by doing this,” said SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.