Congress holds prayer meet for Hathras victim at Valmiki temple; Rahul, Priyanka to attend

In light of shocking Hathras incident, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be attending a prayer meeting organised by its Delhi unit at Valmiki Temple on Friday. Congress party has asked its leaders to hold prayer meetings in Valmiki Temples across country as victim who was raped and killed in Hathras belonged to Valmiki Community.

In Delhi, Congress unit has organised prayer meet at Mandir Marg Valmiki Basti, one of oldest settlements of community in national capital. Congress has continuously hit out at Uttar Pradesh government over handling of case and demanded justice for victim.

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On Thursday, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi tried to visit Hathras to meet victim's family. However, y were stopped midway after a tussle with UP police. A case was registered against leaders. Earlier, Gandhi siblings were arrested by UP Police at Yamuna Expressway while y were trying to meet victim's family, who had died during treatment in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday.

Both Congress leaders alleged y were manhandled and roughed up by police personnel while y were marching towards Hathras. However, ida Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Ranvijay Singh said that re was " lathi charge" on anyone.

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Hathras gangrape

A 19-year-old woman in a vill in UP's Hathras district was brutally gang-raped by 4 men when she was collecting fodder for her cattle on September 14. victim, who was initially admitted to a local hospital in Hathras was shifted for furr treatment to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, September 29. Four persons have been arrested by police in this case.

READ | Hathras Horror: Rahul Gandhi Arrested By UP Police; Had Alleged y 'lathicharged' Him

Amid huge protests outside hospital demanding justice for deceased woman, her body was brought to vill by police at around 1 am on Wednesday. In an official statement, Hathras Police refuted tion that body was forcefully cremated in dead of night without conducting final rites. However, victim's family claimed that its request for body to be taken to house and carrying out cremation after sunrise was turned down by police. Meanwhile, Allahabad High Court took suo moto cognizance of this horrific crime, seeking a response from ACS Home, DGP, ADG Law & Order, Hathras DM and SP by October 12.

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(With inputs from ncy)

(Im credits: PTI)