6-Year-Old Hathras Girl Raped By Cousin Dies, Family Says Won't Cremate Her Until Action Taken

A 6-year-old girl from Hathras reportedly succumbed to her injuries resulting from rape at a Delhi hospital today, October 6. As per news reports, the minor girl, originally from Hathras, had been staying in Iglas, Aligarh with her maternal aunt after her mother died. A cousin raped her in September. Suffering injuries from the incident, she had been referred to a Delhi hospital for treatment where she passed away.

In the wake of the girl's death, a demonstration has broken out in Aligarh, with her family blocking the road to the village, News18 reports. The deceased's family is claiming inaction on part of the police and demanding the arrest of the accused. Another report says that the girl's body has been placed on the Sadabad-Baldev road with the family saying she will be cremated only until due action is taken. SSP Aligarh G Muniraj has reportedly suspended the Station House Officer of Iglas.

Also Read: Balrampur Gangrape And Murder Case: 10 Things To Know

Aligarh Rape Amidst Outcry Over Hathras Horror

Report of this rape incident comes amid mounting anger and tensions in Uttar Pradesh, specifically Hathras, following the gangrape and subsequent death of a 19-year-old Dalit girl on September 29. Four upper-caste men were reported to have raped and injured the Dalit woman, in the aftermath of which she passed away at Delhi. Nationwide protests have broken out against the UP Police and Government, including the State CM Yogi Adityanath.

The family of the Dalit woman alleged that the body was “forcibly” taken from them and cremated without their consent after 2 am in the night. The UP Police denied this charge, saying that the body was taken with consent from the family. The police ADG then went on to make a public statement claiming forensics showed no signs of rape. Following his claims, there was a huge public outcry stating the suspect handling of the case and temporary blockade of media and Congress leaders' entry into UP.

Also Read: How Journalist Tanushree Pandey’s Reporting On Hathras Gang Rape Led To A Movement

There were also reports that the victim's family was being harassed by authorities to change their stance on the rape incident. CM Adityanath then on October 3 went on to order a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into the Hathras case.

Other Similar Incidents Against Minors

There have been several reports of violence against minor girls in September. On September 30, we reported that a two-day-old baby girl had been punctured with a screwdriver in Bhopal, with her body disposed near a temple.

On September 15, it was reported that a minor girl in UP was reportedly gang-raped by five men, who videotaped the act and later uploaded the video on social media. The incident only came to light when the video went viral.

Further, an 11-year-old boy from Indore reportedly killed a 10-year-old girl because she would repeatedly beat him at an online game. After crushing her head with a stone, the boy locked himself in his bathroom the Times of India reported. The police found the body of the minor girl in a nearby field where the boy reportedly took her.