Opposition leaders have demanded speedy justice and alleged administrative apathy over the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl here, even though police said they have already filed an FIR and have arrested the main accused.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that the victim, belonging to the Vishwakarma community, was raped and brutally killed and that her family was threatened to prevent the filing of an FIR.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that atrocities against women were at their peak in Uttar Pradesh.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav told reporters at the party headquarters that BJP leaders met the girl's father.
"The BJP seeks to extract political mileage from every situation. However, I am heartened to see that society at large is becoming increasingly aware and the 'PDA' (pichhda or backward classes, Dalit, alpsankhyak or minority) is even more vigilant," he said.
Later, in a post on 'X', Yadav alleged a new "disturbing" trend under the BJP government: they commit or orchestrate atrocities and later exert pressure on the victims to recant their statements.
"Exploiting the helplessness of a poor person constitutes the most inhumane form of injustice. The BJP's governance and administrative machinery are currently passing through their most abysmal phase," he said.
In the same post, Yadav demanded, "An inquiry must be conducted to identify these specific BJP people who, under the guise of offering counsel, are actually exerting pressure and doing so in the direct presence of the police.
He demanded that there should be another probe to identify the police personnel who are actively intimidating the victim's family and are instead filing false charges against those who have come forward to support the victims. "This is a gross atrocity." Earlier at the party headquarters, Yadav asserted that if his party members wish to visit Ghazipur, it is solely to ensure justice for the victim and to listen to her family's grievances. "We are going there to facilitate the delivery of justice. We all have faith in the judiciary." However, he added that "if the family, specifically the father, declines my visit, then I will not go." The Samajwadi Party on Friday announced that a delegation led by the party president will visit the village and meet the girl's family on April 29.
The same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi to inaugurate the Ganga Expressway.
A teenage girl's body was found in Karanda area of Ghazipur district on April 15, with her family alleging sexual assault and murder. While the police said they are investigating the case, relatives and locals have been demanding speedy justice.
The controversy intensified on April 22, when a Samajwadi Party delegation visiting the victim's family came under stone-pelting in the village, leaving several people, including police personnel, injured. Police have arrested 10 people in connection with the attack.
Earlier, Yadav alleged that the village head and others protected by the dominant forces were behind the assault, calling it an attack on the PDA.
Reacting to the death of the girl, Rahul Gandhi said that action should be taken against "the guilty police officers, the family should be provided security and a high-level probe should be conducted.
"Why are daughters so unsafe under the BJP rule? In such circumstances, justice is not asked for, it is snatched," he said in a post on X.
In an X post, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condemned the administration's apathy.
"In the case of the murder of a girl in Ghazipur, the reluctance to register a case initially, then threats to the victim's family and chaos created by goons, show that atrocities against women are at their peak in the state. Under the BJP rule, it has become an unwritten law that whenever a woman faces atrocities, the victim is harassed further." Varanasi Additional Director General of Police Piyush Mordia visited the village on Friday and met the family along with senior officials. He said the girl, aged around 17 years, had gone missing on the night of April 14 and her body was found in the Ganga the next morning, about 3 km away in the Karanda police station area.
"Based on the information given by the family, an FIR was registered and the main accused has been arrested. Further investigation is underway," Mordia said. He added that the family expressed satisfaction with the police action and requested a fast-track trial.
Mordia also cautioned against attempts to disturb peace. "After this incident, some political parties and external elements tried to create unrest in the village and attempted to instigate the family by presenting unrelated facts. I request that this should not be done," he said, adding that strict legal action would be taken against anyone trying to vitiate the atmosphere.
Police have said a murder case has been registered, though the post-mortem report suggested drowning, and initial investigation has indicated a possible suicide angle, citing a prior relationship between the deceased and the main accused.
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