Nirbhaya Case Lawyer AP Singh to Defend 4 Upper Caste Men Accused in Hathras Gangrape Case | Roundup

In a recent press release, AP Singh has mentioned that the body had collected a lot of money to hire him as they thought the SC/ST objective was being “misused” to slander the upper caste community.

New Delhi: AP Singh, who fought in defence of the four rapists accused in 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, will be defending the four men accused in the Hathras case, reports surfaced on Monday.

It is believed that the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, an upper-caste body, has reached out to Singh to fight for the accused in the alleged gangrape of the 20-year-old Dalit woman who died last month.

In a recent press release, AP Singh has mentioned that the body had collected a lot of money to hire him as they thought the SC/ST objective was being “misused” to slander the upper caste community.

The decision was taken by former Union Minister Raja Manvendra Singh, who is the national president of Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha.

Earlier today, Seema Kushwala, the lawyer who fought for Nirbhaya’s justice, said that she will be fighting the case of Hathras victim. Sources in Zee Media said that Kushwala has been regularly meeting the victim’s family and that the family has now allowed her to represent the case in court.

Kushwaha also noted that the victim’s family was not feeling safe in the village and it is the Uttar Pradesh government’s duty to provide them with proper security.

Politics Over Rape

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister has said that a conspiracy was being hatched in the state by politicising the incident in order to organise an ethnic riot. The UP Police had also filed have lodged at least 19 FIRs across the state over charges ranging from caste conflict to sedition.

Earlier today, an AAP delegation visited the deceased victim’s village and was confronted by a man who hurled ink at party MP Sanjay Singh.

Meanwhile, a UN official also remarked on the Hathras incident as well as the recent rape and death of another Dalit woman the state’s Balrampur. The comment was rejected by the MEA which termed it “unwarranted” and “unnecessary” at a time when the investigation was still underway.

At the same time, amid a nationwide outrage over the growing number of caste-led rape cases, the Hathras case has started receiving support from upper-caste groups who are demanding an “unbiased” probe.

Why the Outrage?

Not only was the alleged gangrape ‘brutal’ as reported in the post-mortem report of the victim that stated strangulation marks and attempted rape but the deceased was also cremated in the dead of the night near her home on September 30 against the will of the family members, stirring immense criticism against the UP Police, who also delayed the initial FIR lodged by the family.

Her family alleged they were forced by the local police to hurriedly conduct her last rites. Local police officers, however, said the cremation was carried out “as per the wishes of the family”.