When Uttar Pradesh police were using force on MPs and journalists to shut them out of the rape-and-murder victim’s village in Hathras on Friday, Rajputs from the neighbourhood held an unofficial “panchayat” around noon.
The gathering declared the four arrested youths innocent, echoing some BJP politicians, and demanded narco-analysis of the accused and complainants.
Around eight hours later, the Uttar Pradesh government obliged, announcing such tests on the complainants, the accused and the policemen involved initially in the probe.
The developments came on a day the Dalit victim’s father told reporters over a fellow villager’s phone that the police seemed to be on the side of the accused and had confined the family at their home, taken away their phones and thrashed him when he sought to step out.
Several BJP politicians have been claiming that the four arrested Rajput youths are victims of caste politics, framed by politicians from Opposition parties or those from the victim’s Valmiki caste.
Adityanath’s tenure has witnessed the dominance of his Kshatriya caste in the state, which has led to widespread conflict and tension between Rajputs and Dalits.
On Friday, the caste panchayat held at Baghna village by Rajputs from 12 nearby villages demanded a CBI probe into the gang-rape-and-murder case.
“We also want a narco test of the accused and the family members of the girl. It will prove the innocence of the arrested youths,” said Awadhesh Singh, a villager who had attended the panchayat.
Around 10pm on Friday, the Uttar Pradesh home department said in a media release: “Polygraphy and narco test of all the complainants, the accused and the policemen (those involved in initial investigation) would be conducted.”
Such tests require the consent of those undergoing the tests. The release did not mention whether consent had been secured.
The government also announced the suspension of the SP of Hathras, Vikrant Veer, and some other police officials -– a familiar response when matters get out of hand.
The accused allegedly gang-raped the 19-year-old girl on September 14, cut off her tongue and broke her spine. She died in Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on September 29.
The victim’s mother says she saw the four accused -- who are from the same village -- run away when she arrived at the spot. The victim’s brother named them in the FIR and, the police say, the girl too named them from her hospital bed.
Rajveer Singh Pahalwan, former MLA and BJP politician, told reporters in Hathras: “Associating the crime with a caste is wrong. The arrested men have been wrongly implicated. Some political parties are playing dirty tricks against them.”
Another BJP politician, who is based in Lucknow and didn’t want to be named, said: “We are not going to sit silently; we’ll try to save the arrested youths.”
Members of the Valmiki community have been protesting almost every day since the girl’s death -- in Hathras, Moradabad and Aligarh.
The police have denied any caste tension in the village, which falls in the Chandpa police station’s area.
Piyush Mordia, inspector-general of police, Aligarh range, said: “Section 144 has been imposed to prevent the assembly of five or more people at any place in Hathras. Some protests are going on at some places and the police are alert.”
Rakesh Singh, father of accused Ramu Singh, told reporters his son was a victim of a plot by Rajveer Diler, the Hathras MP from the BJP who belongs to the Valmiki caste.
“The BJP is playing both sides. The MP is trying to crucify my son to consolidate his position among the Valmikis. Ramu was somewhere else during the incident,” Rakesh said.
Diler said he had no role in the arrests or the registration of the FIR.
Ravi Singh, the main accused, is a nephew of Rakesh. Sandeep Singh is a grandson of Rakesh’s eldest brother. Luvkush Singh is their friend.
The village where the victim lived has been sealed from every side to prevent anyone entering or leaving it. The police allegedly roughed up journalists who tried to enter the village.
The victim’s father said he felt “hurt at the way the police, BJP leaders and the Rajputs are viewing the incident”.
“What is happening is proof that the criminals believe it’s their right to victimise Dalits. They think they can gang-rape and kill our daughters but we mustn’t raise our voice. The police are clearly standing by them,” he said when some reporters spoke to him on a phone smuggled into his home by another villager.
“The police have taken our phones, kept us in confinement in our home and misbehaved with us. Some administrative and police officers thrashed me when I told them I needed to step out.”
He added: “There are people who want to come and meet me but the police don’t want it to happen because they believe the poor must not ask questions, not even of rapists.”
Hathras district magistrate Praveen Kumar denied the family's allegations of confinement, seizure of phones and physical assault.
On the sealing of the village, he said: “It’s our responsibility to maintain peace and we are doing only that.”