The decision to seal off the village to prevent the entry of opposition leaders and the media is seen as a continuing effort to scuttle the growing public anger over the administration handling of the young woman’s death. Officials had yesterday spoken of a plan to declare the village a Covid-19 containment zone on suspicions that some policemen may have contracted the coronavirus infection.
‘Media will leave in 2-3 days. We will stand with you. It’s up to you whether you want TO CHANGE YOUR STATEMENT‘. District Magistrate Hathras was caught on camera threatening the victim’s family.
Watch- DM Hathras caught on camera telling the family,
'Media will leave in 2-3 days. We will stand with you. It's upto you whether you want TO CHANGE YOUR STATEMENT'
People, do you know which statement? Statement which the family give to Police that their daugter was raped
pic.twitter.com/vxb6Ai9E8D
— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) October 1, 2020
The family of the Hathras victim on Friday alleged that the district administration was intimidating them and not letting them leave their area in the village or talk to the media.
A kid from Hathras victim family escapes through fields to inform media that the family wants to speak with them. He narrates how the family members are being beaten to keep quiet, phones were taken away.
“Police have blockaded us from all sides, roofs, lanes and in the village. They are not letting us out,” the victim’s brother told reporters.
Justice, UP style!#HathrasCase #Hathras pic.twitter.com/FrYqoHe03V
— BuzzPedia (@BuzzPedia_in) October 2, 2020
Reporters who tried to slip into the village were also stopped by police teams. One television channel played clips of a journalist trying to reach the young woman’s house through the fields stopped by a police team. Another was seen squatting on the road, demanding to know under which law the police could stop journalists from meeting the family. The police officer said he had his instructions to stop outsiders from entering.
#HathrasCase | ABP News की टीम के साथ यूपी पुलिस कर रही बदसलूकी, पीड़िता के गांव जाने से रोकने के लिए लगा रही पूरा बल@pratimamishra04
WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/tHnZLOPKGQ pic.twitter.com/1ljVojSIzY
— ABP News (@ABPNews) October 2, 2020
District magistrate Praveen Kumar and superintendent of police Vikrant Vir were not available for comments.
Video Credit: ABP News
