The NHRC has sent notices to the Uttar Pradesh government and the state police chief regarding the gang rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district, authorities said Wednesday.
The woman, who was fighting for her life after the assault, died at Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday.
The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has learned suo motu in relation to the “gang rape and brutality of a 19-year-old woman belonging to the Programmed Caste in the district of Hathras,” the rights panel said in a release.
She had reportedly disappeared on September 14 and was found seriously injured on September 22, and was subjected to gang rape and brutality in Hathras more than two weeks ago, she said.
The Commission has sent notices to the chief secretary of the state government and the Uttar Pradesh chief of police, officials said.
On September 14, the young woman had gone to the countryside with her mother and disappeared shortly after. Later she was found, beaten and tortured, her tongue was cut off by biting it when the accused tried to strangle her.
She was first admitted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital and Medical College of the Muslim University of Aligarh and then transferred to Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Monday.
The commission said responses from state authorities are expected within four weeks.
The CNDH observed that the young woman belonging to the community of included castes was subjected to sexual harassment and brutality. “It is clear that the police could not take the appropriate measures to locate and save the victim, so they could not save themselves from being subjected to serious cruelty,” she said.
“The way the perpetrators have acted shows that they had no fear of the law in their mind. The family has suffered an irrevocable loss. A precious young human life has been lost, ”added the rights panel.
Not only this, there are also complaints made by the family that “the police forcibly took the body of the deceased for cremation,” as reported in the media, according to the statement.
“Then the incident raised a lot of questions about the state of law and order. Many of these incidents have occurred in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where members of the Programmed Community have been subjected to discrimination and harassment by people belonging to the upper castes, ”he said.
There have been several cases of complaints of inaction against the police authorities and the administration. This is a serious human rights violation problem, the NHRC added.
The commission said that it also ordered the state government “to provide adequate protection to the family of the deceased” taking into account the seriousness of the matter and the aspect of witness protection, since there is an apparent rupture between the two communities and there may be danger to the family of the deceased.
The DGP is expected to “personally examine the matter to ensure a speedy trial so that the culprits can be punished by the competent court without further delay,” the statement said.
In the current scenario, it is necessary that the family of the deceased, as well as other members of the SC community residing in the village, receive adequate protection from the police. Both authorities are expected to present their report within the stipulated time, he added.
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