So much has changed in this tiny village, though much remains the same.
Last September, Asha, a 19-year-old Dalit woman, was gangraped in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. She died soon after, and her body was forcibly cremated by the Uttar Pradesh police.
Four Thakur men have been arrested so far, and the trial is ongoing. Despite Asha’s family’s pleas for the case to be transferred out of the state, this has not happened.
One year later, Newslaundry returns to Asha’s village in Hathras. Her family still lives opposite the families of the accused, with 40 CRPF personnel standing guard. Eight CCTV cameras have been installed in their home, ostensibly for security purposes, though it also means the family lives in a jail of their own.
So much has changed in this tiny village, though much remains the same.
Watch.