AAP's Kuldeep Kumar visits Hathras family despite testing positive for COVID on Sept 29

In a case of huge negligence, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar who had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 29 visited Hathras and met the alleged gangrape victim's family on October 4. The AAP MLA from Kondli constituency visited Hathras just four days after testing positive for COVID-19. On September 29, he had taken to Twitter to inform about his report coming out to be COVID-19 positive.

"Due to my mild fever for the last two days, today I got Covid19 Test done, the report of which has come out to be positive, due to which I will be at home in isolation. Whoever has met me in the last 2-3 days should also get his test done," he had said on September 29. Although it is the sixth day since the AAP MLA tested positive, there is no update whether he has tested negative after his four days of isolation before he visited Hathras.

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Opposition parties visit Hathras victim's family

Scores of political leaders from various opposition parties flocked to Hathras to visit the alleged rape victim's family as the Uttar Pradesh government lifted restrictions over the visit of the politicians. Apart from the AAP leader, a delegation from Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) vice-president Jayant Chaudhary and Bhim Army chief Chandrashekar Azaad visited the Hathras victim’s family and assured them of all possible help.

BSP Supremo Mayawati also slammed the state government of maintaining silence than providing relief to the family, however, CM Yogi Adityanath has announced ex-gratia of Rs 25 Lakhs and promised a government job to the member of the family.

Moreover, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra continued to target the state government for its failure to take action against the accused, while their party announced that it will hold 'satyagraha' sit-ins across the country on Monday. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday claimed the Opposition did not like the development being done by his work hence they are trying to stoke communal riots.

"They want to create problems in development and that is why they are bringing communal politics in the country and state as well. They want to incite communal riots. But we will keep our development work going," said CM Adityanath. 

The UP government has also filed an FIR alleging criminal conspiracy to incite violence via the Hathras case. UP CM on Saturday gave orders for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in Hathras incident. The state government had earlier ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the case.

Based on the preliminary report submitted by the SIT on Friday, CM Yogi Adityanath has suspended five Police personnel -- district's Police Superintendent (SP) Vikrant Vir, Commanding officer Ram Shabd, Inspector Dinesh Kumar Verma, Sub Inspector Jagveer Singh, and Head Constable Mahesh Pal, over the decision of 'midnight funeral' of the victim, which the family claimed that it was done without their consent. However, Uttar Pradesh ADG Prashant Kumar had stated that consent of the family was taken before conducting the funeral.

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Hathras horror

The victim was reported to be allegedly raped in Hathras on September 14 in a field, leaving her in a critical condition - all four accused have been arrested. When her condition worsened, she was referred to AIIMS but was admitted to Safdarjung hospital in Delhi on Monday with spinal cord injuries, paralysis and cuts in her tongue. She died around 3 am on Tuesday, but her autopsy report has no mention of rape - which has led to police claiming that the victim was 'not raped' highlighting that 'neck injury and trauma' were mentioned as the cause of death and that no traces of sperm were found in her private parts.

The case took an ugly turn when UP police cremated the victim's body at 2:30 AM on Wednesday, allegedly without the family's consent, which has been refuted by the police. The UP govt has suspended five police officers including the district's Police Superintendent (SP) Vikrant Vir for the 'midnight funeral', after the 3-member SIT's recommendation. Now, the case been transferred to the CBI on CM Adityanath's recommendation.