TMC delegation heading to meet Hathras victim's family stopped by police

Hathras (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 2 (ANI): A delegation of Trinamool Congress (TMC), including party MP Derek O'Brien, who were heading to meet the family of the Hathras victim, were on Friday stopped at the district border by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
According to the TMC, the delegation of MPs had traveled separately about 200 kilometres from Delhi to meet the family of the victim and express solidarity but were not allowed to meet the family.
"We are peacefully proceeding to Hathras to meet the family and pay our condolences. We are traveling individually and maintaining all protocols. We are not armed. Why are we stopped? What kind of jungle raj is this that elected MPs are prevented from meeting a grieving family," a member of the delegation told reporters here.
The TMC delegation included Derek O'Brien, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal and former MP Mamata Thakur. The delegation members said that they were stopped merely 1.5 kilometres from the victim's home.
According to officials, local authorities have imposed prohibitory orders (Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) to curb protests in the region.
Notably, a case has been registered against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and over 200 others under several relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Epidemic Act for trying to meet the family of the Hathras victim yesterday.
The 19-year-old had succumbed to assault injuries in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday where she was brought on Monday from Aligarh Muslim University Medical College.
Police had conducted her last rites at her native place in the wee hours of Wednesday. All four accused involved in the incident have been arrested. (ANI)