UP police forcibly cremated Hathras rape victim at 2.30 am, family kept out allege kin
Hathras (UP): The body of the 19-year-old Dalit woman, who died in a Delhi hospital a fortnight after she was gang-raped in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, was cremated here in the early hours of Wednesday, with her family alleging the local police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night.
Local police officers, however, told PTI that the cremation was carried out "as per the wishes of the family".
The woman was raped in a village in Hathras by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung hospital where she breathed her last on Tuesday.
As news of her death spread, protests broke out in Delhi as well as in Hathras with all sections of society, including politicians, sports and cine stars and activists, expressing their anguish and demanding justice for her.
The family left Safdarjung hospital in Delhi on Tuesday night amid heavy police deployment. The body was taken by the Uttar Pradesh police, which reached Hathras earlier than the family members, claimed a kin of the victim.
"The cremation was done around 2.30 am - 3 am," the father of the deceased woman told PTI on Wednesday morning.
In the moments preceding the cremation, a brother of the woman told PTI: "Police have forcibly taken the body, and my father along with them for cremation. When my father reached Hathras, he was immediately taken (to the crematorium) by the police."
Another kin said the woman's father was accompanied by 30 to 40 people, mainly relatives and others from their neighbourhood, to the crematorium near Bool Garhi village, under Chandpa police station limits, in the district of western Uttar Pradesh.
Senior police and administration officials were also present at the crematorium in the middle of the night, an official said. According to purported visuals from the site that surfaced on social media some of the policemen were in anti-riot gears donning body vests and helmets.
"We are unable to understand, what they want... what kind of politics is this, they are giving random statements like the woman has not been raped! We don't know what they want," said the relative who was at home with the grieving family. "They are doing all this to hush up the case."
When contacted, Hathras Superintendent of Police Vikrant Vir told PTI in a text message: "All procedures as per wish of family (sic).
#HathrasCase Major ruckus in the village right now. UP cops & officials forcing kin to cremate body overnight. Family begging that let us at least take the girl home one last time. Village people came in front of the ambulance, saying “we will not let you burn our girl forcibly” pic.twitter.com/gHAv4Oq5Yd
— Tanushree Pandey (@TanushreePande) September 29, 2020
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Nepal's top leadership stresses unity, peace on Buddha Purnima
Kathmandu (PTI): National unity can be strengthened by following Lord Buddha's guiding principles of tolerance and mutual goodwill, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel said on Friday, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
The Himalayan nation is observing the 2570th Buddha Jayanti, or the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, who was born in Lumbini, Nepal, around the 6th century BC.
Buddha Jayanti is celebrated on Baishakh Poornima or the full moon day in the month of Baishakh of the Lunar calendar every year.
The birth anniversary of the Buddha, regarded as the messenger of non-violence and peace, is being celebrated across the country with hopes for peace.
Traditional pujas are performed by Buddhists, with lamas and Buddhist gurus conducting ceremonies in Chaityas, monasteries, viharas, and other sacred sites.
Various programmes are being organised at important pilgrimage sites like Lumbini, Swayambhu, and Bouddha to commemorate the day.
In his message on the occasion, President Ramchandra Paudel said that national unity could be further strengthened by maintaining tolerance and mutual goodwill amid religious, social and cultural diversities, abiding by the messages and guiding principles of Lord Buddha, the proponent of non-violence and peace.
Extending his greetings to all through social media, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said that Nepal, blessed by the birth of Buddha, has always been in favour of non-violence and peace.
"The path shown by the Buddha is the path to end suffering by seeking knowledge," he said.
"As a ray of light enters, darkness automatically disappears; likewise, our journey should be in search of the light of knowledge, should be on the path to solve problems,” said Shah.
Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana (death) all occurred on the full moon day of Baisakh. Thus, Buddhists worldwide, including those in Nepal, celebrate Buddha Jayanti with deep reverence and devotion.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Nepal on Thursday celebrated Buddha Jayanti in Lumbini in collaboration with the Lumbini Development Trust and Lumbini Buddhist University.
The celebration held on the eve of Buddha Jayanti featured a painting exhibition by school students, chanting of prayers by monks from Nepal and India and a vibrant cultural evening.
On the occasion, a Buddhism-themed Kathak dance was performed by a troupe from ICCR, India, headed by Deepti Gupta and a musical presentation by a Nepali band led by sarod maestro Suresh Raj Bajracharya.
Lumbini Province Governor Krishna Bahadur Ghartimagar was the chief guest on the occasion.
