The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the Hathras Dalit girl’s rape and murder case recorded the statements of the victim’s family members on Thursday.
After the girl’s death at a Delhi hospital, the Hathras police hurriedly brought her body back and cremated it without the kin’s consent in the dead of the night, triggering fierce public outrage across the state. The SIT is expected to focus on that angle too.
The SIT comprising Home Secretary Bhagwan Swarup, DIG Chandra Prakash and Commandant of PAC at Agra, Poonam, reached Bulgari village in Chandpa police station area on Thursday morning. Later they recorded the statements of the girl’s father, mother, brother, neighbours and distant kin.
The statements of policemen concerned, including suspended SHO of Chandpa police station and SP Vikrant Veer Singh were also recorded.
The team will camp in Hathras for another day and submit its report by Tuesday.
Meanwhile, at the victim’s village in Hathras, an uneasy calm prevailed and no outsider was allowed inside amid deployment of a large contingent of cops.
Interestingly, a video went viral on Thursday in which Hathras District Magistrate Praveen Kumar is heard threatening the victim’s father, saying that most media persons had left, the remaining would soon leave and hence he should not change his statement else the administration will change its stand.
Earlier on Thursday, the Hathras administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and restricted entry of all politicians and media persons.
A heavy police force was deployed on all entry points of the district and the village was cordoned off to prevent entry sans permission.
Meanwhile on Thursday evening, ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told media persons in Lucknow that forensic report of the victim indicated that she was not raped.
“The forensic report clearly says that sperm was not found in the samples collected from the victim, which indicates that she was not raped. As per autopsy report, the victim died due to trauma of her neck injury. Even in her statement to the police, the victim did not mention rape but spoke of ‘marpeet’ (beating) only. Only on September 22, did she mention being raped,” the ADG said.
Kumar further said, “It suggests that some people twisted the matter to stir caste-based tension. The police will now identify those who tried to disturb social harmony and create caste violence.”