Delhi Commission for Women urges Chief Justice, SC Judges to take cognisance of Hathras Rape and Murder

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has written a letter to CJI SA Bobde & other Judges of the Apex Court urging them to take cognisance of the gang-rape & murder of a Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district.

Swati Maliwal, the Chief of DCW, has requested the Court to call for a HC-monitored investigation into the case to ensure "strictest & swiftest" possible punishment to the accused.

The DCW has requested the Top Court to take cognizance of the matter.

The letter said, "Even in death, the UP government was not moved by the pleas & tears of the victim & gravest of grave violation of the human rights of the victim, her family was locked up in their home & her body was forcibly taken in the fields at 2 am & cremated by the police officials. No family member was allowed to cremate the body & in death, the family could not be with their daughter."

A 19-year-old girl was gang-raped in Hathras on Sept 14 & yesterday she succumbed to her injuries at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. When her mortal remains were taken to her native place, the UP Police & administration allegedly cremated her body forcefully without the family's consent or their presence, in the night.

The DCW said the incident was allegedly played down by the Police & the local administration as a dispute between villages to cover it up.

The Commission has asked for the immediate suspension & punitive action against the police & administrative officials who facilitated this cover-up, saying "every possible fundamental & human right of the victim was violated by the UP government & its police, in life & in death."

The incident exposed the absolute apathy & disregard of the system towards women, the letter stated, adding that despite the victim in this case being left in the fields with severe injuries, the police failed to register an FIR for 5 days.

The DCW letter pointed out that the Govt of UP also failed to move the victim to a Delhi hospital until Sept 28, when she breathed her last.

It said that "The Hathras gang-rape & murder has once again exposed the complete apathy & disregard our system shows towards its daughters & mothers". 

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