Hathras incident: TMC MPs manhandled as they try to enter village

By Ajit Jha/ Joymala Bagchi
Hathras (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 2 (ANI): A delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) was roughed up by Uttar Pradesh Police at Hathras border. The delegation, including party MP Derek O'Brien, was on the way to meet the family of the victim of the Hathras incident.
The voices in support of the Hathras victim family has intensified as administration here beefed up security at the entrance of the village and also issued section 144 restricting normalcy.
The protest started when four TMC members who have come here to meet the victim's family, were stopped at the barricade placed at the entrance of the village.
Derek said, "Our MPs (Pratima Mandal, Mamata Thakur, including Derek O' Brien) were been stopped, they were manhandled by the SDM and security here. We are not being allowed to go to the village by walking."
TMC leader, Pratima Mondal said, "I have been manhandled by these people here. We just wanted to meet the family member. We told them that if not all of us allow at least one to go inside. But they didn't. If things happen with us in this manner, imagine how they behave with the commoners? This is appalling."
Later a group of people staged a protest at the barricade saying they want justice for the victim.
Yesterday Congress's top leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped along with other leaders and Congress party members at the Yamuna Expressway as they were heading for Hathras.
Hathras victim died in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital. The post-mortem report reads that the victim suffered a fracture of "C6 cervical vertebra" and there was "extravasations of blood along the fracture line" and the underlying spinal cord was "contused with ascending edema". Also, the postmortem report denies rape charges. (ANI)