‘Living as prisoners ourselves’, thank anyone who understands our pain: Hathras victim’s brother

The brother of the Hathras woman, who was allegedly gangraped in 2020, said today (17 December) that the family is living "as prisoners themselves" while the accused roam free. In the context of LoP Rahul Gandhi's recent visit, he said the family will thank anyone who amplifies their voice and understands their pain — be it the government or someone else.

He noted his sister's ashes have still been kept at her home and will be immersed only when the family gets full justice.

The remarks by Sandeep Singh, the Hathras victim's brother, came barely hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted on X a video of his meeting with the family members of the woman last Thursday, 12 December.

Gandhi asserted that justice delayed is justice denied, adding that the promises made to the family by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh have not been fulfilled till date.

The BJP and its ally, the RLD, criticised Gandhi for sharing the video, while INDIA bloc member Samajwadi Party backed him.

Singh said the family has been seeking justice for the last five years.

"Whoever takes up our cause and understands our pain, we will thank him, whether it is the government or someone else," he said.

"We are living as prisoners (hum to kaid waali zindagi jee rahe hai). If the Uttar Pradesh government does not fulfil its promise, then we will see. Whether it is the government or the opposition, all are equal for us," Singh said.

"If the UP government fulfils its promise, then what more do we need? We have not got full justice even in the court. This is the fifth year ongoing and we are still hoping [for relief] from the court and the government. We are victims and cannot do anything," he continued.

Reacting to Gandhi's post, Uttar Pradesh BJP spokesperson Harish Chandra Srivastava tried to dismiss the concerns raised, telling PTI, "The approach of the opposition is full of negativity. They are creating confusion among the public by presenting distorted facts."

RLD's state spokesperson Ankur Saxena accused Gandhi of seeking publicity and creating doubts, telling PTI, "By doing this, he is trying to create a situation of confusion. He is putting a question mark on the law and order for the sake of publicity, and also trying to create a feeling of suspicion towards the judiciary."

Meanwhile, extending support to Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Deepak Ranjan said the promises made by the state government to the aggrieved family have still not been fulfilled.

"The protocol, which the Leader of Opposition is entitled to, was not extended to him," he told PTI.

After meeting the family in Hathras, Gandhi had alleged that they are being treated like "criminals".

The family had reached out to Gandhi earlier this year, seeking his support in getting "justice", according to the Congress, which shared a letter addressed to the LoP by the woman's father.

Gandhi spent around 35 minutes with the family at their home and interacted with them. He left without speaking to a waiting group of reporters who had gathered in the village for his visit.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had earlier also met the Hathras family on 3 October 2020 and declared that they would fight to ensure justice for the deceased.

The 19-year-old was brutally gangraped on 14 September 2020, allegedly by four upper-caste men. She was moved to Aligarh for treatment and later to Delhi, where she died on 29 September 2020.

Even at the time, the victim's family had feared further persecution and said they may have to leave their village if justice was not speedily delivered, and had expressed fear of fresh violence and retribution from the upper-caste Thakur community.

She was finally cremated in the early hours of 30 October 2020 thereafter, with her family alleging the local police had forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night. Local police officers, however, had claimed that the cremation was carried out "according to the wishes of the family".

After an initial police probe in the matter, the CBI had taken over the investigation into the case and filed a charge sheet against all four accused.

That was more than four years ago.

'Justice delayed is justice denied! But something else is happening in Hathras where the accused are roaming free and the victim's family is held hostage,' Gandhi said in his post on YouTube along with the video.

"After a long phase of destroying evidence and misleading the judiciary, today four years later, the accused are roaming free in the same village and the victim's family is held hostage, still waiting for justice," Gandhi alleged.

The promises made to them by the BJP government of Uttar Pradesh have not been fulfilled till date, he claimed.

Neither have they been given a government job nor has the promise of shifting them to another place been fulfilled, Gandhi said.

"In this labyrinth of casteism and power, it has become impossible for Dalits to even hope for justice," he said.

The INDIA bloc vows that it will protect the Bahujans from these oppressors who follow the path of Manusmriti, Gandhi said.

"We will get all the promises fulfilled, we will get them justice," he said.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, 'Listen carefully and feel every word filled with despair of the family of Hathras rape victim. They are still in fear. Their situation confirms that it has become extremely difficult for Dalits to get justice.'

'We are with this family — we will relocate their house and provide all necessary assistance,' he said.

He also shared the video on Facebook.

"The family of Hathras victim was promised by UP's BJP government that a government job — which was not given.

"Fast track court... justice still pending.

"And safe relocation... house arrest.

"We will get justice for the victim's family — we, INDIA bloc, who believe in the Constitution, will make arrangements for their freedom and relocation," Gandhi said.

In the video, Gandhi hears the victim's family, who state that they have been denied justice and were not being allowed to go out of their home. (It is understood they are supposed to be under CRPF 'protection'.)

With PTI inputs