Hathras Incident: Police reportedly stop victim's family from interacting with media

Hathras rape victim's family members have alleged that they were not allowed to talk with the media and some of their mobile phones have been seized. However, Hathras District Magistrate has denied and claimed it as rumours.

Hathras (Uttar Pradesh): Citing high-handedness of the authorities, family members of the alleged gang-rape victim claimed that they have been stopped from speaking to the media, owing to various reasons alongside imposition of Section 144 in the village.

According to sources, a minor from the victim's family was sent by the latter to reach out to the media and connect with them. The minor further revealed that the family members were reportedly asked to switch-off their mobiles, while were seized from them.

"They have taken the phones. My family had sent me here to call the media for speaking. I ducked down and came via the field. They are not letting us come out neither are they allowing the media to come in. They are threatening us as well," claimed one of the family members.

He left the area after spotting a police official, who noticed him talking to the media.

When the media asked the police officer why they are being stopped from interacting with the family, they remained silent. After which a verbal spat broke out between security and the media.

UP Congress's tweet om Hathras incident

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has banned the entry of media inside Hathras village as media has presented some important facts from the ground in front of the whole country, said Uttar Pradesh Congress.

"Today Yogi Ji (UP CM) has banned media's entry inside the village because the media presented some important facts from the ground to the whole country. They have also revealed things regarding Yogi Ji's jungle raj. So now the media has been banned," Uttar Pradesh Congress tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

Hathras District Magistrate PK Laxkar on Thursday denied "negative rumours" about the rift between him and the family of the gangrape victim.

While talking to a news agency, Laxkar said that he has been regularly interacting with the family.

"I met with six family members of the victim yesterday and we spoke for about an hour and a half. I met with them again today to see their point of discontent. I deny the negative rumours which are rife about my interactions with them," the district magistrate said.

Hathras victim died in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital. The post-mortem report reads that the victim suffered a fracture of "C6 cervical vertebra" and there was "extravasation of blood along the fracture line" and the underlying spinal cord was "contused with ascending oedema". Also, the postmortem report denies rape charges.

Inputs from ANI