"Unruly Elements Offered 50 Lakhs To Hathras Family To Speak Untruths": Cops

One of the 19 FIRs (First Information Reports) filed by the Uttar Pradesh police in the aftermath of the Hathras case alleges sedition and conspiracy by "unknown" people. It also alleges that the family of the young woman who died after her assault and alleged gang rape by four men was offered Rs 50 lakh to lie about the state government.

The FIR, one of the six filed in Hathras, is based on a complaint by a sub-inspector and says: "Unruly elements offered Rs 50 lakh to the family of the woman to speak untruths against the government." It does not specify who those elements are.

The FIR, accessed by NDTV, also blames unruly elements for an attempt to stir caste tension in Uttar Pradesh.

An unknown "journalist tried to coax victim's brother to record the bite of parents saying they were not satisfied with the UP government," it says.

The UP police also say in the FIR that false statements were attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and "made viral on social media" in a conspiracy to malign the state government's image.

A total of 19 FIRs have been filed across the state.

Facing criticism over its handling of the case, the police have alleged an attempt to disturb peace in the state in some of the FIRs.

The cases were filed after Yogi Adityanath claimed that the Hathras incident was being exploited by those who were upset at his government's progress.

"There is a deep conspiracy in Hathras, we will investigate the truth," senior police officer Prashant Kumar said on Monday, explaining the FIRs.

The 20-year-old Dalit woman was assaulted by four upper caste men at her village on September 14 and left with severe wounds including fractures, a spinal injury that left her paralysed and a gash in her tongue. The UP police, accused of a slow response to the woman's complaint, has alleged that there was no rape or gang rape involved and that a forensic report proves it. That claim has been questioned by experts who point out that the samples were taken 11 days after the woman was attacked.

Yogi Adityanath's administration has also been accused of trying to cover up the crime blamed on upper caste Thakurs.