Hathras Gangrape Authenticity Unveiled: How CBI Charge sheet stood against faulty Government claims?
After two months of political gimmick over Hathras gangrape, the Ghaziabad branch of the CBI filed a charge sheet under sections of gang rape, murder and the SC/ST Act on Thursday. Based on the “dying declaration” given the victim on September 22, 2020, CBI has arrested four Thakur men namely Sandeep, 20; his uncle Ravi, 35; and their friends Ramu, 26, and Luvkush, 23 for gang rape and murder of the 20-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras.
Where on one hand the CBI chargesheet comes as a relief for the victim’s family, it came in contrast to the claims made ruling party led members who denied any incident of rape.
1. Ranjeet Bahadur Srivastava, a BJP leader from Barabanki, claimed the four upper caste men to be ‘innocent’ and the victim as ‘awaara’ (wayward). He said that the teen was ‘having an affair with the accused’ and had called him to the millet field on September 14 (the day of the crime).
“The victim must have called the boy to the field because they were having an affair. This news is already out on social media and news channels. She must have got caught after that.”
“Such girls are found dead in only some places. They will be found dead in sugarcane, corn and millet fields or in bushes, gutters or forests. Why are they never found dead in paddy or wheat fields?” he asked.
“I can say with guarantee these boys are innocent. If they are not released in time, they will keep facing mental harassment. Who will return their lost youth? Will the government give them compensation?” he demanded
2. BJP MLA Surendra Singh said, “Incidents like these can be stopped with good values, not with punishment. All parents should teach their daughters good values”.
3. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted a video showing the face of the victim to prove that 19-year-old Dalit girl was not raped taking advantage of UP police’s statement of denial of gangrape.
4. Priti Gandhi, national in-charge (social media) of BJP Mahila Morcha also tweeted the same day Amit Malviya tweeted the video, denying it to be a case of sexual assault. Her tweet said, “It is only a fiction of Lutyen media’s imagination. Are we governed the rule of law or the hallucinations of a few??!!” was retweeted Malviya.
Such claims, along with the forensic report issued the the Aligarh Muslim University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH) said there were no signs of vaginal/ anal intercourse. However, there was evidence of physical assault (injuries over the neck and the back). But the fact that the victim was examined on September 22, i.e. 8 days after the incident was then ignored observing authorities.
