Rights activists, advocates flay Hathras case judgment

Human rights activists and advocates on Saturday critically analysed and condemned the SC/ST court’s judgment in the Hathras rape and murder case.

A Special Court for trial of cases under the SC/ST Act in Hathras on March 2 acquitted three of the four accused in the 2020 rape and murder of a 19-year old woman belonging to an SC community.

Speaking at a meeting organised by People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) here, Executive Director of Evidence, an NGO, A. Kathir called the verdict ‘shocking’ and a ‘judicial conspiracy’.

He said there was failure on the part of authorities at all levels. The conduct of the police officials in the case was nothing but caste discrimination. He referred to the hurried cremation of the victim’s body, which was done by the police officials without the consent of the family members. The State had failed the victim’s family.

Mr. Kathir said that every word of the judgment was written to ensure that the perpetrators escaped from the clutches of law. The trial in the case should have been transferred to some other place so that it was conducted in a fair manner. The Hathras rape and murder case did not receive as much public outcry as the 2012 Nirbhaya case, which might have been due to the fact that the incident did not take place in Delhi, the national capital.

Advocate Lakshmi Gopinathan said it was a case where the police system had completely failed. The police had even denied that the victim was raped. There were conspiracy theories. The Allahabad High Court could have continuously monitored the case.

Analysing the judgment in detail, advocate Karuppasamy Pandian said the court should not have overlooked the dying declaration of the victim. It was settled law that it was enough to convict the accused.

Office bearers of PUCL R. Murali, P. Vijaykumar, A. John Vincent and S. Thiagarajan and others were present at the discussion.