2020 Hathras gang rape and murder
On 14 September 2020, a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped in Hathras district, Uttar Pradesh, India, by four upper caste men. She died two weeks later in a Delhi hospital.
| 2020 Hathras Gang Rape and Murder | |
|---|---|
2020 Hathras gang rape and murder (Uttar Pradesh) | |
| Location | Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Coordinates | 27.60°N 78.05°E |
| Date | 14 September 2020 |
Attack type | Rape, murder, dragging and strangling (with dupatta) |
| Deaths | 1 |
No. of participants | 4 |
| Accused | Sandip Thakur, Ramu Thakur, Lavkush Thakur and Ravi Thakur |
| Convicted | Sandeep Thakur - For culpable homicide (IPC 304) |
| Verdict | No Rape or Murder Proven |
| Convictions | 3 accused Ramu Thakur, Lavkush Thakur and Ravi Thakur were released by the court. None of them were present at the crime spot. Sandeep Thakur convicted for culpable homicide (IPC 304) and no rape charges (IPC 374) established. |
| Charges | murder, gang rape and violations of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. |
Initially, it was reported that one accused had tried to kill her, though later in her statement to the magistrate, the victim named four accused as having raped her. The victim's brother claimed that no arrests were made in the first 10 days after the incident took place. After her death, the victim's body was forcibly cremated by the police without the consent of her family, a claim denied by the police.
The case and its subsequent handling received widespread media attention and condemnation from across the country, and was the subject of protests against the Yogi Adityanath government by activists and opposition.