Three Hathras case accused acquitted, Priyanka Gandhi attacks BJP government

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the BJP government over the Hathras rape case. She said the victim's family says they have not received justice. After a special court acquitted three of the four accused in the Hathras gang-rape case, the Congress leader came down hard on the BJP government.

The Congress General Secretary in a couple of tweets in Hindi said, “The family of the Hathras victim is saying that they did not get justice. On March 8 on the occasion of World Womens’ Day, the BJP will make hollow promises of women empowerment. But did the government show any sensitivity in the Hathras case?”

She further questioned “Were any representatives of the government there to support the victim’s family, from the first day?” She also questioned the government’s apathy in the case and the role of government officials in the whole matter.  Hasn’t the process of justice been subverted by government representatives making statements like “rape has not happened”, asked the Congress leader. 

A special court on Thursday acquitted three of the four accused in the Hathras gang rape case. The court sentenced one of the accused to life imprisonment.

The rape and murder charges could not be proved against the prime accused, his lawyer Munna Singh Pundir said.  A 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by four men from her village on September 14, 2020. A fortnight later, she died at a Delhi hospital. She was cremated in the middle of the night in her village near Hathras. Her family members claimed that the cremation, which took place well past midnight, was without their consent and they were not allowed to bring home the body one last time.