FIR against unknown on "conversion rumour"

Ghaziabad police have registered an FIR against unknown persons in connection with news that socially backward Valmiki community are being converted to Buddhism. The police said that it was a rumour and the whole matter is being investigated.

Ghaziabad: An FIR has been registered against unknown people for allegedly spreading a rumour that people from socially backward Valmiki community were being converting to Buddhism, police said.

Ghaziabad police said reports of people in Karera village of the district converting to Buddhism were baseless and further investigation is on in the matter. Police said reports in this connection were found to be fake.

According to media reports, around 236 people from 50 families belonging to the socially backward Valmiki community embraced Buddhism in Ghaziabad.

The families said they have been hurt by the Hathras incident. They also said even though they have been facing financial distress, the government hasn't heard their woes, media reports quoted them as saying.

The Dalit woman was allegedly raped in a Hathras village by four upper caste men on September 14.

After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

She was cremated in the early hours, with her family alleging that the local police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night.

Local police officers, however, had said the cremation was carried out "as per the wishes of the family".

The incident led to protests across the country with people from different sections of society demanding justice for the victim.