In the aftermath of the gang-rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Hathras, the Uttar Pradesh police, on Monday said some groups and individuals were involved in ‘conspiracy’ and ‘sedition’ to instigate the caste and communal violence in the state.

The UP police have registered 19 FIRs across eight cities and arrested around six people for spreading rumours. It also states that the family of the 19-year-old girl who died after being gang-raped and tortured by four upper-caste men was offered ₹50 lakh to speak in their favour and lie about the state government.

Additional DGP (law and order) Prashant Kumar stated that the police have received information of an organised campaign to keep the state on the edge by disturbing public sentiments and also trying to buy the poor family of the victim.

‘Various groups have used social media platforms to spread hatred, inciting people on caste lines and organising unlawful gatherings amid the pandemic. Some of these groups even offered ₹50 lakh to the victim’s family to speak in their favour,’ Kumar told Times of India.

An FIR has been lodged at Chandpa police station in Hathras is against those who tried to force the victims to lie about the local administration and the state government. The family was asked to say that they were not happy with the assistance offered by the government, Kumar said.

Around six of the 19 FIRs have been lodged in Hathras. An FIR mentions unidentified groups tried to instigate the girl’s family. All of them have been booke for sedition and incitement of caste violence.

The FIR also stated that an unknown, ‘journalist tried to coax the victim’ brother to record the bite of parents saying they were not satisfied with the UP government.’

Facing criticisms over it’s handling of the case, the UP police also claimed that misleading statements against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ‘were distributed on social media’ with a sinister motive to destroy the image of the government.

The FIRs were registered after Yogi Adityanath stated that some ‘unknown’ people were trying to exploit the Hathras case as they were upset by the progress of the UP government.

Thirteen more FIRs were registered and five people were arrested in connection to the incident in Bijnor, Saharanpur, Hathras, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Ayodhya and Bulandshahr over ‘unlawful protests’ and posting offensive statements on social media platforms.

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