Priyanka Gandhi questions UP govt's role in Hathras rape & murder probe after CBI chargesheet

She said despite the government's efforts to provide injustice, the truth has finally prevailed.

"On one side, there was government-protected injustice. The family, on the other hand, was hopeful of justice. The victim's body was burnt forcibly. There were attempts to discredit the victim. The family was threatened. But eventually, Satya triumphed. Satyameva Jayate #HathrasCase," Priyanka said in her series of Hindi tweets on Friday evening.

The Congress leader's response came after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed its chargesheet against all the four accused in the Hathras gang rape and murder case.

"The state left no stone unturned to deny the victim her dignity- in life and death. She was cremated without her family's consent in the middle of the night. Senior police officers and bureaucrats outrightly denied any rape, intimidated her family and indulged in blatant shaming of the victim," Priyanka said in her statement.

"A section of media dared to report that the truth was manhandled. However, the entire might of the UP government and police could not suppress the truth," she said.

"I cannot forget the anguish of the 19-years old's mother, who could even bid her daughter goodbye. All that her family sought was justice for their child."

"I Am heartened to see that an important step towards providing that justice has been taken by the CBI and hope that it will bring the victim's family some comfort amidst the immense suffering that they have so courageously endured," she said.

In its chargesheet filed on Friday, the CBI invoked sections under the SC/ST Atrocities Act besides invoking charges under Section 376D pertaining to rape, Section 302 pertaining to murder; and Sections 354 and 376A, against the accused.

All the four accused have been named in the chargesheet filed by the CBI in a Special SC-ST court, said lawyer Munna Singh Pundhir, who is representing them. The UP Police had earlier alleged that the victim was not raped.

The victim, a 19-year-old Dalit girl, was allegedly raped and murdered by four men belonging to the upper caste in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras district on Sept 14.

She died on Sept 29 at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital during treatment and was cremated in the dead of the night near her home on Sept 30.

Her family alleged that they were forced by the local police to hurriedly conduct her last rites. Local police officers, however, said the cremation was carried out 'as per the wishes of the family'.

The UP government faced a lot of flak for the case which was later transferred to the CBI.

The CBI constituted a team to probe the incident and handed over the probe to its Ghaziabad unit. The team has already recorded statements of family members of the victim.