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Hathras DM faces heat of retired IAS officers

New Delhi: It's not that Hathras district magistrate Praveen Kumar Laxkar is facing the heat of only family members of the Dalit girl, who died after being allegedly 'assaulted' by four men of upper caste, as retired IAS officers have also pointed fingers at the the DM and suspended SP of the district Vikrant Vir for not performing their duties as per the law.

Slamming the 'irresponsible' behaviour of Hathras DM, former School Education Secretary Anil Swarup said that the suspension of Hathras SP is a huge lesson for civil servants.

"In case of crime and law & order, the officers need to strictly go by the law. Each officer should know that except 'honourable' exceptions, overindulgence to "please" someone doesn't pay in the long run, perhaps in the short run as well," Swarup said a tweet.

In reply to a question, what had he done if he would have been in place of the incumbent Hathras DM, the 1981-batch IAS officer said, "It was not the job of DMs to make statements or give suggestions to those that were traumatised."

"It was the time to be empathetic and provide succour instead of advising families of the victim what they should do. The DM failed to appreciate his role in the follow up of a crime committed," Swarup said.

Earlier, former chief election commissioner Dr SY Quraishi had also slammed the Hathras DM for 'threatening' family members of the Dalit girl. Reacting to a tweet shared with the video of the DM allegedly 'threatening' family members, Quraishi said, "Shameful conduct of DM. He is a disgrace to service." The 2014-batch IPS Vikrant Vir, who has now been suspended for "negligence and lax supervision of the case", is not new to the controversy. When he was posted as Unnao SP, he had not allowed family members of a 23-year-old rape victim, who was burnt alive, to have a last look at her body in December 2019.

Similarly, in the Hathras case, it has been alleged that the SP did not inform the family when the body was released by Safdarjung Hospital and sent to her village with a police escort.

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