Protests erupt at Delhi hospital after death of Dalit woman gang-raped in Hathras

New Delhi: Protests erupted at the Safdarjung Hospital here as the father and the cousin of the Hathras gang rape victim sat on a dharna before the woman's body was taken to Uttar Pradesh amid heavy police deployment on Tuesday late evening.

The 19-year-old woman died at the hospital during the day, a fortnight after being gang-raped in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh.

As the news of her death spread, Bhim Army and Congress workers staged protests, demanding justice for the victim.

Security was beefed up at the Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police in the evening. The Congress staged a protest at Vijay Chowk as well.

Around 9.30 pm, Uttar Pradesh Police took the victim's body and her family members back to the state from the hospital, a Delhi Police official said.

Earlier in the day, the victim's father and her cousin sat on a dharna on the hospital premises, eyewitnesses said.

The police, however, claimed that the family members were not on a dharna.

"They wanted to go. Different groups tried to hijack the issue. Later, the family was convinced and they left with SDM and Circle Officer of Hathras. ADM Hathras was also there," the Delhi Police later said.

There were heated arguments between the protestors and the police personnel outside the hospital.

"Protestors were dispersed from outside the hospital. No one has been detained or arrested from the spot," a police official said.

The Dalit teen was allegedly sexually attacked by four men on September 14. The accused had tried to strangle her to death as she resisted their rape attempt and in the process, she had also ended up biting her tongue and suffering a severe cut on it. The four accused have been arrested.

She was admitted to Aligarh Muslim University's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital here on Monday.

Congress leaders, including party MP P L Punia, Delhi unit president Anil Kumar and Delhi Mahila Congress president Amrita Dhawan, reached Safdarjung Hospital along with party workers.

"UP Police and their Delhi counterparts are trying to shift the father of the Hathras victim from here (Safdarjung Hospital). We are opposing it. There is no clarity about the victim's body whether it has been taken to UP or still kept at the hospital," Kumar said.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad and his supporters demanded that the Centre give Rs 2 crore as compensation to the family and a government job to a kin.

"A fast track court should be set up and the culprits should be punished within 30 days," the Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh said. He warned of a countrywide protest if the government "did not meet our demands within 24 hours".

Later in the evening, a Bhim Army spokesperson alleged that Azad had been taken to an unknown place by the UP Police.

The spokesperson said a few angry protesters confronted the police when the force stopped them from taking out a candle march outside the hospital.

"The police are trying to remove us from the protest site, but we are not going to the leave till our demands are met," he said.

The Delhi Congress president demanded a CBI inquiry into the whole incident, saying it has put a big question mark on the law and order situation under the Yogi Adityanath government in UP.

Congress workers also held a candlelight vigil at Safdarjung Hospital to seek justice for the woman.

Indian Youth Congress (IYC) activists, led by the president of the outfit Srinivas BV, tried out to take out a candle march from Raisina Road to Jantar Mantar but police stopped them.

Alleging that law and order have broken down in Uttar Pradesh, Srinivas demanded that the trial of the case be carried out by a fast track court.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, who visited Safdarjung Hospital, alleged that the police had kept some people to heckle anyone who asked questions.

"I have a recording of police giving that direction. They ask what did Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal do, what will he do it is not his jurisdiction. They even heckled MLA Ajay Dutt when he asked where the body of the woman was," he said.

Earlier in the day, members of the Delhi Mahila Congress staged a protest at Vijay Chowk, demanding justice for the victim.

Punia and former MP Udit Raj also joined the protest led by Delhi Mahila Congress president Amrita Dhawan.

The protesters were held and taken to Mandir Marg police station, a senior police officer said.

Dhawan said the Mahila Congress members were trying to march towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan to demand justice for the victim when the police detained them.