NCW writes to UP DGP seeking explanation on hasty cremation of Hathras victim

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written afresh to the Director-General of Police in Uttar Pradesh, seeking an explanation over the hasty cremation of the 19-year-old Hathras gangrape victim by the UP police, reports senior correspondent Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi: The National Commission for Women on Thursday has written to the Director-General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, seeking an explanation for urgency on midnight cremation of Hathras victim's body 'without taking consent of the family members'.

The 19-year-old woman died at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday, a fortnight after she was allegedly tortured by four upper-caste men while she was out to collect fodder with her mother in UP's Hathras.

However, UP ADG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar on Thursday has dismissed the media reports which claim that the girl was 'gang-raped'. He clarified that the cause of the death was not rape but due to the trauma of her neck injury.

This has triggered protests in Delhi as well as in Hathras with all sections of society taking to streets condemning the brutal act of violence against the Dalit woman.

Earlier, Chairperson Rekha Sharma took to twitter and said, " In UP Gang-Rape Tragedy, 2:30 am cremation by cops, the family was kept out. @NCWIndia condemn it strongly. Why the family wasn't allowed in cremation? Why at night? @UPpolice @hathraspolice".

• The brother of the victim called and told my office that he and father of the victim was taken to the Cremation ground while the Cremation was on but were not allowed to see the face. https://t.co/ZfgKJYI21W

  — Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) September 30, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  The brother of the victim called and told my office that he and father of the victim was taken to the Cremation ground while the Cremation was on but were not allowed to see the face. https://t.co/ZfgKJYI21W

  — Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) September 30, 2020

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  The brother of the victim called and told my office that he and father of the victim was taken to the Cremation ground while the Cremation was on but were not allowed to see the face. https://t.co/ZfgKJYI21W

  — Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) September 30, 2020

The National Commission for Women in a statement said it is shocked at the alleged 'brutal gang-rape' of a 19-year-old woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh who died in Delhi after fighting for life for nearly two weeks. The incident underlines the grim state of women in society, she added.

The Commission said it also came across a disturbing report on police officials cremating her body in the middle of the night without the permission and presence of her family members. It has been reported that the victim’s body was cremated at 2:30 am by the Police without the presence of any family member.

"The victim’s family had reportedly appealed to the District Magistrate for taking her body home for performing the last rites, however, the police went ahead with the cremation while most of her family members were away", it said.

However, NCW had taken suo moto of the incident and an Action Taken Report was received from the Uttar Pradesh police on the same day.

"The Commission has now written to Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh seeking an explanation on the urgency to cremate the body of the victim in the middle of the night that too in the absence of her family. NCW has asked the administration to send a reply on the same at the earliest", it added.