Hathras Case: STF takes over probe of ‘conspiracy’ cases

The next course of action would be decided after examining the details, said a police officer involved in the investigation.

The case in Mathura is in connection with the arrest of four men, including a journalist, on October 5 while they were on way to Hathras to meet the family of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who died after she was brutalised and allegedly gangraped by upper-caste men on September 14. She died 10 days later in a Delhi hospital.

The police have claimed that the arrested men are members of the Popular Front of India (PFI), and its students’ wing Campus Front of India. The PFI is accused of inciting violence during last year’s protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Alleging that there was a larger conspiracy behind the men’s visit to Hathras, the police have booked the men on charges of sedition and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The four have been identified as Siddique Kappan (41), Atiq-ur-Rahman (25), Masood Ahmed (26) and Alam (26). They are in jail at present.

One of the two cases in Hathras was lodged at Chandpa police station against unidentified people on October 4. In its complaint, the police alleged there was a conspiracy to instigate riots along caste lines and defame the state government. Recently, the police in Hathras also booked the four arrested in Mathura.

The fourth case that the STF is looking into has been lodged in Aligarh in connection with a video clip in which a person identified as Shyoraj Jivan is allegedly seen indulging in hate-mongering and attempting to incite people from a particular caste. In the video, Shyoraj allegedly claimed that no one would be able to stop caste riots.

It is to be noted that after receiving flak over his government’s handling of the Hathras case, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had alleged that a “conspiracy” was being hatched by the Opposition parties to incite caste violence in the state.