'Truth can't be hidden': Hathras victim's family after CBI charge-sheet
After the CBI filed a charge-sheet against the four accused in the Hathras gangrape and murder case, the deceased 19-year-old Dalit girl's family breathed a sigh of relief. The victim's father broke into tears after knowing that CBI charged the accused with gangrape and murder, contradicting UP Police's claim that she wasn't sexually assaulted. Her eldest brother also said the truth can't be hidden.
On Friday, the CBI submitted its charge-sheet against the four upper-caste men accused of gangrape and murder of the victim in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras in September. Her 28-year-old eldest brother said, "We weren't expecting much from the charge-sheet, so we didn't tell them (his parents). We wanted to know first what it would say. My father saw the news on TV and started crying."
"This is not going to bring our girl back...but this is a step closer. We shall not find happiness...at least we saw the case coming to a justified conclusion," her eldest brother said. "Her dying declaration has not gone in vain," said her sister-in-law.
Meanwhile, another brother of the victim said that since the incident took place in September, their neighbors, other villagers, and even the District Magistrate (DM) have been against them. "They accused me of killing my own sister, called this a case of honor killing...We hope the authorities punish the accused soon," the 20-year-old added.
"The role of the local administration has been highlighted now...it is a matter of time before justice takes its course," said the victim's brother. "We had to fight a lot. The administration did not trust us and portrayed that we were lying, but the truth doesn't remain hidden for long. It is now up to the courts to deliver final justice," he added.
"We want justice for her, and want the DM to resign. It was because of him that we couldn't cremate her," said the victim's sister-in-law. To recall, the victim was cremated hours after her death on September 30 in her family's absence. "We kept saying...the boys had outraged her modesty while the UP Police has only belittled us since day one," she added.
To recall, the 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly attacked and gang-raped at her village in Hathras while she was cutting grass on September 14. The four accused hail from the Shekhawat Thakur community, which is considered an "upper caste" in the social strata. The victim was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi, where she succumbed to her injuries during treatment on September 29.
While the Uttar Pradesh government has kept its promise of the Rs. 25 lakh compensation, the victim's family says their life is far from normal as their neighbors keep their distance and even blame them for bringing a "bad name" to the village. However, the village pradhan denied their claims, saying it was her family members who stopped mingling with others after the incident.
