The Hathras gangrape and murder has shook the collective conscience of the country, yet again. There is outrage, there are protests and public hanging of the culprits is vehemently demanded.
While the outcry continues, the Uttar Pradesh police have been accused of sabotaging the case. Allegations have been raised by the family of the victim that police had initially tried to brush aside the case as fake news.
The woman, a day after she was assaulted, gave a police statement and initially the case was investigated as an attempt to murder over old enmity.?
Rape charges added only in FIR on September 22, eight days after crime.
On September 22, after the girl's statement, rape charges were added to the FIR and three more people were booked, while one accused, Sandeep was arrested.
The woman told the police in a statement on September 22 that the four men raped her on September 14 when she had gone to collect firewood.
Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir said on Thursday that after the woman¡¯s statement, gang rape charges were added to the first information report and three persons were booked.
The Uttar Pradesh Police also denied that the deceased was not a victim of sexual assault.?
The police, however, claims that the woman was attacked and allegedly strangled by four accused which caused damage to her nervous system and left her paralysed.
Speaking to media, Hathras SP Vikrant Vir said that no signs of sexual assault were found on the victim's body by doctors and reports of her tongue being cut were also false.
"No signs of sexual assault was confirmed by doctors in either Hathras or Aligarh. The matter will be probed by doctors through forensic help. No signs of abrasion were found on the victim's private parts," the Hathras SP said.
The police have also denied claims that the Hathras gangrape victim's tongue was cut or that her backbone was shattered.?
However, reports suggest otherwise.
The victim had bit her tongue as the accused tried to stangulate her after she was gangraped. As a result, she had allegedly suffered deep cuts on her tongue.?
The case took another tragic turn in the wee hours of Wednesday when the victim was cremated by policemen allegedly as her family and relatives were locked up in their homes.?
A disturbing sequence of events was captured in visuals wherein the victim¡¯s family was seen arguing with the cops, female relatives throwing themselves on the hood of the ambulance carrying the body and the mother crying her eyes out as she begged to take a last look at her daughter.
The woman's family said that they wanted to perform the funeral as per Hindu traditions and despite their protest, the cremation was done by policemen.
"We couldn't see our daughter's face for the last time," the family said.
The police¡¯s hasty and lackadaisical approach in the case is questionable and many have alleged that perhaps there is a larger conspiracy to suppress the case which has outraged the country.