Main accused convicted and three others acquitted in Hathras gangrape and murder case
Advocate Seema Kushwaha, who appeared for the 19-year-old Dalit woman’s family, says they ‘will try’ to appeal the judgment before the high court.
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On September 14, 2020, the 19-year-old was allegedly gangraped and assaulted by four men who left her bleeding in the field. (Express) A special court in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district on Thursday convicted the main accused and acquitted three others of all charges in the 2020 rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman.
“Sandeep Singh was convicted under (Indian Penal Code) section 304 and sections of the SC/ST Act. The other accused were acquitted in this case. Their arguments on sentence will take place shortly,” Munna Singh, the lawyer for Sandeep and the other accused—Ravi, Luv Kush and Ramu—told The Indian Express.
Advocate Seema Kushwaha, who appeared for the victim’s family, said, “We will try to appeal this judgment before the high court.”
After details of the verdict came out, Sandeep’s family members broke down outside the courtroom. Rajender Singh, Sandeep’s uncle, said, “I welcome this judgment but why was Sandeep the only one who was convicted? This whole trial was marred by politicians and media persons.”
Luv Kush’s mother Munni said, “I welcome the judgment. I had full faith in the judiciary. I just want my son to return. I am concerned about his future now.”
On September 14, 2020, the 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped and assaulted by four upper-caste men, who left her bleeding in a field in Hathras. She was found by her family and taken to a hospital in Aligarh and then to Delhi. Eleven days later, she died in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.
The body was taken out in an ambulance late in the evening, driven to her village and allegedly cremated at 3.30am forcibly by UP police and other officials.
The chargesheet relied on the analysis of call detail records to state that “the relationship/affair between the victim and accused Sandeep was in good form till March 2020”.
As per the CBI case, the Dalit woman was raped by four men after she rebuffed one of them, Sandeep, and this “change in their relationship” had “aggravated his feelings” and “frustrated him”.
The CBI stated that the relationship soured further when their family members found out about them and that after March 20, Sandeep tried to contact the woman from various phone numbers of his friends and relatives.
According to the CBI, Sandeep also suspected that she was having “an affair” with someone else.
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