Additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi and Director General of Police HC Awasthi on Saturday met Hathras victim's family. They would be submitting their report to the chief minister upon returning, a government spokesperson said. "This is a very sad and shocking incident. We met the family after the chief minister's directions. As report came, action was initiated and responsible officials have been suspended," ACS Home Awanish Awasthi said after the meeting.
"SIT is investigating the case. Statements of the family members being recorded," he said while adding that the security would be continued in the victim's village.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police HC Awasthi refused to comment on why the victim's family was not allowed during the cremation. "The decision as taken at the local level," he said.
The Special Investigation Team has completed its probe into the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman after an alleged gang-rape, a Hathras administration official said on Saturday, as the case sparked protests across India and led to calls for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ouster from the post.
Amid country-wide outrage over the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Wednesday formed a three-member SIT which was instructed to submit its report by October 14, according to officials. The Hathras administration had on Thursday clamped prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144, which bars assembly of more than four people, in the district where political parties had reached and staged protest to demand justice for the young woman, who died earlier this week, a fortnight after her alleged gang-rape here.
The administration has also lifted restrictions on the media's entry into the village, a day after outsiders, including politicians, were barred from meeting the victim's family due to the ongoing SIT probe, the official said. “Only the entry of media has been allowed into the village of the victim as the probe of the SIT has completed,” Joint Magistrate Prem Prakash Meena told reporters.
He also refuted allegations that the administration had confined the victim's family and confiscated their phones.
Speaking to the media after barricades were removed, the victim’s family alleged that the SIT is “hand in glove” with the accused. Rejecting the idea of a CBI probe as well, the family demanded a Supreme Court-monitored investigation.