Hathras Gangrape Case: Section 144 Imposed, District Borders Sealed For Outsiders Including Media Persons

The district administration in Hathras has imposed Section 144 in the area and has banned the entry of all ‘outsiders’ including media persons, in the Boolgarhi village where the 19-year-old Dalit girl was gang-raped and died later.

District Magistrate Praveen Lakshkar said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) , set up to probe the incident, had reached the village and was interacting with the family and other people to record their statements.

“They do not want any disturbance and hence, all entry of outsiders has been stopped,” he said.

The move comes ahead of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's proposed visit to the village to meet the victim's family.

However, the District Magistrate further said that he had no information of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra reaching Hathras to meet the bereaved family.

On 14 September, a 19-year-old Dalit girl was gang raped and left paralysed by four upper caste men. She died a fortnight after the attack in a Delhi hospital on Tuesday (29 September).

While, the police has claimed that the post-mortem report did not confirm any sexual assault, the girl, a week after she was hospitalised, told the police that she had been raped by four men whom she also named.

All four accused she named -- Sandip, Ramu, Lavkush and Ravi -- were arrested for gang rape, attempt to murder and under sections of the SC/ST Act.

The last rites of the victim were performed by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police allegedly without the permission of the family.

“The police have forcibly taken the dead body, and my father along with them for cremation. When my father reached Hathras, he was immediately taken (to the crematorium) by the police,” the victim’s brother had been quoted by the media.

(With inputs from IANS)