Lone Hathras convict to challenge conviction

The family of the lone convicted person in the 2020 Hathras rape and murder case has decided to challenge the trial court's verdict in the Allahabad High Court, their lawyers said.

On March 2, a special court in Hathras had convicted the main accused in the case Sandeep Sisodia of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, but acquitted him of the rape charges.

Three others arrested with him, were acquitted of all charges.

The case was related to the alleged rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl at Boolgarhi village under Chandapa police station limits on September 14, 2020.

Four locals were accused of raping the victim when she was out to get cattle fodder.

She was left partially paralysed after the alleged assault and was rushed to a hospital in nearby Aligarh town, where she also recorded her statement.

She was shifted to Delhi for treatment where she died.

Family members of Sandeep Sisodia have also decided to challenge trial court's order in high court.

M.S. Pundheer, the lawyer who had represented all four accused in court, said: "Sandeep was also innocent and his family has decided to appeal in the high court.

"Charges against all four were same. The court acquitted three and convicted only Sandeep Sisodia. We will approach the high court seeking acquittal of Sandeep under the same conditions in which the three others were acquitted.

"We have identified several legal points that will be raised in the high court."

The family members of the woman are also not satisfied with the verdict and they will soon challenge it in the Allahabad High Court, said Seema Kushwaha, the lawyer who represented the victim's family during the trial.

"We will move the high court against the trial court's verdict. The court has not taken several facts into consideration. After going through the order, we have identified several facts related with the case which will be highlighted in the high court," she added.

Petitions challenging the trial court's order are likely to be filed in the Allahabad High Court after it reopens on March 13.