Threats, conspiracies & faking FIRs: How Yogi avoids slander in Hathras, CPIML Reports

A five-member team of CPIML leaders met with the family of the deceased in the rape and murder case in Hathras, UP. The team consoled them and supported their demand for justice and to have the entire case investigated by an apex judge.

The CPIML team was led by State Committee member Nasir Shah, and included AIKM State Vice President Nathilal Pathak, Tara Singh, Rakesh Chaudhury, Manoj Kumar, Salim Khan, RYA leaders Aman and Vishnu Sharma. The administration stopped the team around 1 km away from the village and only allowed five members to meet the family.

On October 8th, CPIML state secretary Sudhakar Yadav released the team’s report.

The team reported that the family of the deceased is living in fear. The family belongs to the Valmiki caste and is poor. Due to their poverty and the upper caste status of the accused, the state administration has not shown any seriousness in the matter and also tried to cover up the investigation. From delay in registering FIR to not providing her with appropriate treatment to bungling up the medical report from Aligarh medical officer.

The report also mentions how the UP police covered up further investigation by committing another shameful act of burning the body of the rape victim late at night without the permission of her family. They also reported that the District Magistrate threatened the father, and even kicked family members. They even blocked representatives of the opposition and the media from meeting the family members- including members of the CPIML- in an attempt to cover the matter. Moreover, even though the entire village remains a police-PAC cantonment, the accused has been able to psychologically pressurise and intimidate the victim’s family. All this is happening at the behest of the government.

CPIML State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav stated that the Yogi government is trying to suppress questions regarding their shortcomings and failures, especially in the Hathras incident, but making this out to be an “international conspiracy” to defame them. So, they are registering FIR-after-FIR, while especially targeting journalists. These are clearly acts of targeted harassment. Yadav urged the public to not fall into this trap and intensify the fight to bring justice to the victim.

The report has demanded that FIR be filed against the District Magistrate and (now suspended) Superintendent of Police. They failed to punish the culprits, did not ensure the security of the victim’s family, were biased towards the accused’s side and intimidated the victim’s side.

The team also demanded the resignation of Yogi, who was complicit in the intimidation of activists, journalists, and the family. He did not withdraw cases lodged against political activists opposing the incident, stop the harassment of journalists or take any action ensuring the protection of women in incidents ranging from Hathras to Balrampur, Bhadohi, Azamgarh.