Hathras: Family tells HC, cremation of victim against their wishes

Lucknow, Oct 13: The family members of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died after allegedly being raped by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district have told the Allahabad High Court that the cremation of the victim was carried out against their wishes.

Senior advocate Jaideep Narain Mathur, who was appointed amicus curiae in the case said that the family told the court that the cremation was done by the Hathras district administration against their wishes.

Hathras District Magistrate Praveen Kumar Laxkar told the court that they had inputs of a huge law and order problem next morning following which they decided to carry out the cremation.

The family of the victim appeared before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court amid tight security on Monday.

The high court had directed the district judge to ensure that the victim's family members appear before it on Monday.

It had also summoned additional chief secretary, home; director general of police; ADG, law and order; and district magistrate and superintendent of police of Hathras to furnish the status report of the investigation in the case.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Shalabh Mathur, who has been sent to Hathras from Lucknow as a nodal officer, had on Friday said if needed, a control room would also be established.

"Shocked" by the murder and alleged gang-rape of the Dalit woman and the subsequent forcible cremation, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court had on October 1 summoned top government officials.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the case, which has triggered widespread outrage, a division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Jaspreet Singh had ordered the Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary, state police chief and an additional director general of police to appear before it on October 12 to explain the incident.

"The incidents which took place after the death of the victim on September 29, 2020, leading up to her cremation, as alleged, have shocked our conscience. Therefore, we are taking suo moto cognisance of the same," the bench had said in its order.