The family of the 19-year-old Dalit girl in Hathras, who died days after she was brutally assaulted and allegedly raped, on Monday appeared before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court and recorded their statements.
While a detailed written order was still awaited, lawyers for the victim and the Uttar Pradesh government said the court had listed the next hearing for November 2, when the State has been asked to file a response.
A division bench of the court was hearing a PIL petition listed by it in the matter after taking suo motu cognizance of the incident and the events leading up to the hurried and alleged forced cremation of the victim.
Affidavit filed
U.P. Advocate General V. K. Shahi said the government filed an affidavit in the court.
The court questioned Additional Chief Secretary Home Awanish Awasthi, ADG Law and Order Prashant Kumar and the Hathras District Magistrate, said Mr. Shahi after the hearing but he refused to divulge further details.
The court directed Mr. Kumar and Special Secretary Home to appear on November 2.
Lawyer for the victim's family Seema Kushwaha said the family had three main prayers in court and all of them have been considered. First, the family demanded that the case be transferred out of U.P. Second, the details of the investigation not be revealed through media as it “builds a different kind of narrative”. Third, the family demanded that they be provided security till the trial in the case was concluded.
Ms. Kushwaha stated that she would submit an affidavit on behalf of the family before November 2.
‘Police left speechless’
The police maintained their stand that the cremation of the girl took place with the family’s permission but were without answers and left “speechless” when the court cross-questioned them. The family wanted the cremation at 5 a.m., but the police did it at night without their presence and without following proper rituals, she said.
The court used “hard language” while asking the State officials that if they had felt that law and order could be affected during the hurried cremation episode why didn’t they summon more force, she added.