The probe in the sensational Hathras case has revealed the Naxal connection of one of the women, masquerading as the Bhabhi (sister-in-law) of the victim, reported News 18. The case pertains to the alleged murder of a 19-year-old girl on September 29 due to strangulation in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh.
News 18 reported that the said Naxalite stayed with the victim’s family for several, posing as the sister-in-law of the victim, between September 16 and September 22. However, our sources indicate that she could have stayed longer and there is no confirmation on the exact duration of her stay. She had come to the village, two days after the alleged rape of the victim, which has now been ruled out based on the forensic examination report.
As per the Special Investigative Team (SIT) constituted by the Yogi government, the Naxalite hails from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and has consistently been in touch with the real sister-in-law of the victim. Her identity came to the fore when the probe in the case led the investigators to the call records of the real sister-in-law. According to media reports, the real Bhabhi of the victim was in constant touch with the imposter Naxalite. The SIT has now launched a manhunt to nab the Naxalite.
#HathrasCase
— News18 India (@News18India) October 10, 2020
सामने आया हाथरस कांड का ‘नक्सल कनेक्शन’ – SIT को पीड़ित की ‘नकली भाभी’ की तलाश#SIT #Hathras #HathrasHorror #HathrasHorrorShocksIndia #news #News18India @farah17khan pic.twitter.com/VYAJjCvSL8
While the Local Intelligence Unit (LIU) had warned of a conspiracy to incite riots in the area and organise a mass movement against the government under the garb of the Hathras case, the investigators were taken aback after discovering that a Naxalite was staying with the victim’s family. The SIT is now working on two different facets of the case – the murder angle and the larger conspiracy of anti-social elements to create communal tension through the case.
The investigators are probing whether the Naxalite intimidated/ threatened the victim’s family or bribed them into telling everyone that she was indeed the sister-in-law of the victim. The SIT is also probing whether the Naxalite brainwashed the family and convinced them that the district administration or other communities would make their lives difficult.
#HathrasCase
— News18 India (@News18India) October 10, 2020
हाथरस कांड में अब तक की सबसे बड़ी ख़बर – पीड़ित के घर में भाभी बनकर रह रही थी नक्सली महिला#SIT #Hathras #HathrasHorror #HathrasHorrorShocksIndia #news #News18India @anuragdhanda pic.twitter.com/NNJmJq268o
Interestingly, only days earlier, it was reported that after the victim’s death on September 29, three workers from the Bhim Army had lived in the victim house along with the family members, claiming to be their ‘relatives’. The Bhim Army has been involved inspiring up caste angle in the issue and has been provoking caste-based tensions in the area. As per the Jagran report, three Bhim Army persons, including a young woman from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, had lived with the victim’s family, claiming to be their ‘relatives’. We cannot confirm if the “young woman from Jabalpur” who was a Bhim Army worker and the Naxalite being spoken about now are the same people.
As per the report, Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar Azad alias ‘Ravan’ had met the Hathras victim in Aligarh on September 27. The victim died on September 29 and when the political climate started getting hotter, while police took the victim’s body to her village at the night, 3 Bhim Army workers had slipped into the family’s house and started living there as ‘relatives’.
‘Bhabhi’ issues rape threats to Kshatriya community
In a video that had gone viral while the outrage over the case was at its peak, one ‘Bhabhi’ of the Hathras victim could be heard issuing rape threats to the Kshatriya community. During an interview with India TV, she said, “Bring their 2-4 girls and make them stay with 6 of our men here. I will intervene on behalf of the panchayat and give my verdict immediately. What they have done to the girl (Hathras victim), the same must happen to them. Leave your daughters here and see…”
She continued, “We were not able to see her dead body. We will make the Thakurs pay the price by doing the same to their girls.” However, Opindia could not independently verify whether the Bhabhi, who issued rape threats to Kshatriya women, was the real one who was in touch with the Naxalite or the imposter Naxalite herself.
#Hathras case:
— antonio maino (@coldineshsharma) October 5, 2020
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader Kamal Bharti announced Rs 1 Crore to any man from Kshatriya community who will bring his daughter/sister to sleep with him.
Here, the Bhabhi of the victim is inciting people to rape Kshatriya women. pic.twitter.com/RAzMgtkgBr
The Hathras case
Congress and other political parties have been using the Hathras case to further their narrative and gain a stronghold in Uttar Pradesh on anti-upper caste sentiment. Every political party in the opposition is trying to use the tragedy for their gain and the media is not far behind in using it for their own interests. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has ordered a CBI inquiry into the matter with numerous facets emerging to the story. The chronology of the events in the Hathras case can be explored here.