New Delhi: The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) Thursday asked for an action report from the district magistrate (DM) and superintendent of police (SP), Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, and the state chief secretary in connection with the alleged gang-rape and death of a 22-year-old Dalit woman.
The woman was allegedly raped by two men — identified as Shahid and a 16-year-old — on 29 September in Gesadi village of Balrampur. Both accused have been arrested.
The NCSC had also sought an action report from the DM and SP of Hathras on 30 September on the alleged gang rape and assault of a 20-year-old Dalit woman in the district.
The Uttar Pradesh Police had triggered a row Tuesday after it forcibly cremated the body of the victim without the presence of her family members.
Confirming the two letters, a senior official of the NCSC told ThePrint, “We have asked the respective DMs and the state government to respond to the commission’s queries within 15 days. We promise to ensure the families get justice and the compensation guaranteed to them under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.”
The Act was made to safeguard the rights of people who fall under the SC/ST category.
Both letters read: “The commission has decided to investigate\enquire into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India. You are hereby requested to submit an action taken report to the undersigned within 15 days of the receipt of his notice.”
A copy of the two letters have also been shared with the director of the National Crime Records Bureau, joint secretary of the home affairs ministry and commissioner, Uttar Pradesh government.
A second NCSC official said, “I have talked to the DMs and they said the situation was very tense in both villages. I was also assured that the family of the Hathras ‘rape’ victim had received about Rs 10 lakh of the compensation amount promised by the state government.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job to the family of the Hathras woman.
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Notice seeking clarification on Hathras woman’s cremation
In a separate letter, the NCSC’s regional office in Lucknow also wrote to the Hathras DM on 21 September asking for an action report. The commission received a response on 24 September, which detailed the FIR and action taken by the police.
However, the Lucknow NCSC had sent another notice on 30 September, seen by ThePrint, to authorities in Hathras, seeking clarification on the woman’s cremation after her brother alleged it was done without the family’s consent.
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Only Scheduled Caste lives matter in India. General Category Hindus were born to be wronged by the system at every step of the way.