The family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman from Hathras told the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court told the court on Monday that she was cremated against their will and their lawyer said that they wanted the case shifted out of Uttar Pradesh.
The woman died last month. Four dominant caste men have been arrested for allegedly raping the woman and leaving her grievously injured. The incident took place in her village in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
PTI quoted Seema Kushwaha, the counsel for the family members, as saying, ”The family wants the case to be transferred to Delhi or Mumbai, Kushwaha said outside the court. The family also asked that they should provided security.”
The family of the woman have repeatedly said that they fear for their security amid massive protests by dominant caste men claiming the woman was not raped.
The CBI is probing the case, but the handling of it by the Uttar Pradesh authorities has drawn severe criticism from all quarters, including the court.
Kushwaha was quoted by NDTV as saying, “The court asked the District Magistrate - ’What if it was a girl from a rich family? Would you have cremated her the same way?”
The court had take suo moto cognisance of the case on October 1.
Hinudstan Times reported that Hathras district magistrate Praveen Kumar Laxkar told the court that the woman was cremated at night because the government had received “intelligence inputs” that the law and order could deteriorate.
The next date of hearing in the case is on November 2.
(With PTI inputs)