Exactly a year ago, on September 14, 2020, the Hathras rape and murder incident shook the country’s conscience.
In Boolgarhi, Hathras District, West Uttar Pradesh, a Dalit girl from four Thakurs upper caste from the same village was raped and critically injured. After a 15-day battle, she succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in Delhi. The victim’s family was not allowed to perform the final rites. The administration did it at midnight. Videos and pictures went viral, and the controversy also took a political turn.
When India Today visited the village a year after the incident, the picture was very different. We tried to speak to both sides, the victim’s family and the accused, to understand how their lives have changed over the past 365 days.
There, the family’s children play in the small yard while the victim’s mother and grandmother watch them from a distance. (Photo credit: India Today)
We first visited the victim’s house, which was converted into a camp by paramilitary forces. Outside the main entrance, we were told to write down the details and purpose of the visit. The security personnel deployed there informed us that this was imperative given the threat posed by the victim’s family. There are several levels of security in your home. Some security guards camp on the roof, while others ensure security on the doorstep. There are plenty of CCTV cameras to monitor movement, both indoors and outdoors.
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The victim’s older brother told India Today, “CBI interviewed other family members and myself. There is now a court hearing of the defendant when he returned to Delhi after a trial. “
The victim’s house, which has been converted into a camp by paramilitary forces. In front of the main entrance one must write down the details and the purpose of the visit. (Photo credit: India Today)
The family cannot leave their premises without informing the security officers. The victim’s younger brother said, “I quit my job in Ghaziabad because of the incident and the security threat that followed. We are almost under house arrest because freedom of movement is restricted outside. We received Rs 25 lakh in compensation from the government and used it to cover our expenses. “
There, the family’s children play in the small yard while the victim’s mother and grandmother watch them from a distance. The victim’s father claimed: “We are safe until the paramilitary forces are here. We will leave this village on the day that security is withdrawn. We are alone in this struggle and no politician is coming to us now. The straight line of politicians was only for the first few days. “
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The families of the four defendants live a few meters from the victim’s house. India Today also went to see these families to see their side of the story. Female members resented the way the media and administration treated them. They alleged that the accused boys were not given a fair trial and that they were charged. Soon the father of one of the defendants came and said, “Everyone is prejudiced against our families. There is no evidence that the victim’s spine was broken, nor was the tongue slit, as alleged by any preconceived notions that were being spread against the four accused boys. “
The victim’s younger brother has given up his job in Ghaziabad due to the incident and the subsequent security threat. (Photo credit: India Today)
It appears that the matter will take some time to be resolved in court. But when we took a long walk back from the village in the afternoon, the streets were deserted. Apparently the years of crisis affected the peace and harmony of the village of Boolgarhi.
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