Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked the Yogi Adityanath dispensation over the death of a Dalit woman from Uttar Pradesh's Hathras who was gang-raped, saying that the chief minister and his police claim no one was raped because for them and many other Indians, she was "no one".
In a tweet, Gandhi said the shameful truth is that many Indians do not consider Dalits, Muslims and tribals to be human.
"The CM & his police say no one was raped because for them, and many other Indians, she was NO ONE," the former Congress chief tweeted.
He also tagged a media report, which asked why police were denying rape when the woman repeatedly reported otherwise.
A 19-year-old Dalit woman from Hathras was allegedly raped and attacked by four upper-caste men. She later succumbed to injuries at a Delhi hospital.
The Yogi Adityanath government is fighting severe criticism for its handling of the case, particularly after the local police burnt the woman's body at night without the family's approval. However, officials said the cremation was done "as per the wishes of the family".
The state government has said that some people were trying to foment caste tensions in the aftermath of the incident. Quoting an FSL (forensic science laboratory) report, it has denied the rape charge.
The Centre has issued a notification for the CBI to take over probe into the alleged gang-rape and death of the 19-year-old woman, officials said on Saturday.
CBI takes over probe
The CBI has taken over investigation into the alleged gangrape of a Dalit woman in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh on September 14, officials said.
The agency registered an FIR on Sunday morning under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections related to gangrape and murder, they said.
The case was earlier registered at Chandpa Police Station, in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh, on a complaint by the victim's brother.
"The complainant had alleged that on 14.09.2020, the accused tried to strangulate his sister in the millet field. The case has been registered by CBI on the request of Uttar Pradesh Government and further Notification from Government of India," CBI Spokesperson RK Gaur said.
The agency has constituted a team to probe the case, he said.
