The family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was allegedly raped in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras last month, wants to be shifted to Delhi to ensure their “safety” and asked the state government to help them in moving from their village, the victim’s brother said according to news agency ANI on Friday.
They also want the probe into the woman’s gangrape and murder to be handled in Delhi. “The family wants the case to be shifted to Delhi, we also want to shift there. The government should help us in this regard, we are dependent on them. We just want to be safe wherever we are,” the brother was quoted as saying by ANI.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently probing the case and has so far questioned the relatives of the victim as well as those of the four accused, who belong to the Thakur community.
Earlier in the day, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government said it has completed its probe and will soon submit the report to the government, according to ANI. The agency continued its investigation even after the rape and murder case was handed over to CBI on chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s recommendation and a notification by the Centre.
The Dalit woman was cremated in the dead of the night on September 30 by the UP police a day after her death in a Delhi hospital. Her family has alleged that the cremation was carried out without their consent and they were locked inside their house when they tried to protest. The incident has sparked outrage across the country and several political leaders have visited the victim’s family and assured them of support in getting justice for their daughter.