The Delhi police on Monday registered a case against a Hindu priest and three other men for allegedly killing and forcibly cremating a nine-year-old Dalit girl at Old Nangal crematorium on Sunday in the national capital.
After the neighbours of the victim’s family thrashed and demanded the truth from the priest and other men, the former accepted to have raped the minor girl and then cremated her, the parents of the minor girl can be heard saying in an interview to The Mooknayak.
दिल्ली में हाथरस जैसा मामला, श्मशान घाट में पंडित समेत 4 लोगों ने किया 9 साल की दलित लड़की का गैंगरेप, फिर जलाया…
मां ने कहा- पंडित समेत चारों लोगों को मिले फांसी, उसने स्वीकारा था कि मैंने किया गैंगरेप! देखिये संवाददाता मीना कोटवाल के साथ पीड़िता की मां की बातचीत… pic.twitter.com/5wEExMQsN9
— Meena Kotwal (@KotwalMeena) August 2, 2021
The minor who lived with her parents in a rented house in front of a crematorium in Old Nangal village had reportedly gone out to get water from a cooler at the crematorium on Sunday at around 5.30 pm.
The girl left her house after informing her mother but she did not return by 6:00 pm. Later on, the crematorium’s priest, Radhey Shyam, and three other people, whom the girl’s mother knew, called her there and showed her, her daughter’s body and claimed that she got electrocuted while getting water from the cooler, the police said.
Trolls arguing that this is an incidence of crime and the 9 year old girl's caste has nothing to do with it, pls read abt the Intersecting Factors Behind Structural Violence Against Dalit Women!!https://t.co/SBsheP6bBV#हाथरस_के_बाद_दिल्ली_में_हैवानियत #JusticeForDelhiCanttGirl https://t.co/xnZnLTjn59
— Pri | پرینکا (@PriyankaSamy) August 3, 2021
According to the police, the girl’s mother has alleged that Shyam insisted on cremating her daughter’s body without informing the police to avoid legal tangles. There were burn marks between her left wrist and elbow, and her lips were also blue, a senior police officer said.
The priest and 2 persons told Sunita Devi that if she makes a PCR call then the police will make a case out of it and in post mortem doctors will steal all organs of the girl and so it’s better to cremate her. The girl was forcibly cremated by the priest and a few other men without the consent of her parents.
#Hathras horror repeated in Delhi | A dalit girl allegedly raped inside crematorium and cremated by a priest without consent of family | Police as usual trying to do all type of hush up | Are we going to be silent spectators to such horrific crimes again #Nangalbrutality
— Bezwada Wilson (@BezwadaWilson) August 2, 2021
Later on, the girl’s parents raised the issue and people in large numbers came out to support them. By the time Delhi police reached the spot, only the burnt legs of the minor could be recovered. Following the protest, the police sent its FSL team to collect samples/evidence for investigation. The forensic report in the case is still awaited.
Following the incident, a team of the Bhim Army reached the spot to meet the family of the minor.
दिल्ली में 9 साल की बच्ची के साथ अत्याचार और हत्या की भयानक घटना हुई है। हमारी टीम मौक़े पर है। ये मेरा अपना परिवार है। वह मेरी बहन थी। कल मैं खुद पीड़ित परिवार से मिलने जाऊंगा। न्याय होने तक हमारा संघर्ष जारी रहेगा।
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) August 2, 2021
Hundreds of people took to the streets in New Delhi on Monday demanding justice for the minor’s family.
दिल्ली में 9 साल की दलित बच्ची की रेप के बाद हत्या, जबरन किया शव का अंतिम संस्कार
लोगों में ज़बरदस्त आक्रोश।
#JusticeForDelhiCanttGirl pic.twitter.com/tOEVLDIxTm
— National Dastak (@NationalDastak) August 2, 2021
People are also taking it to social media to condemn the caste and gender-based brutality and demanding the administration to take swift action in the case.
Indian civil society is utterly uncivilized and casteist. Normally they are agitated but in case of caste atrocities they remain silent. They just needs to be civil. #JusticeForDelhiCanttGirl
— Mission Ambedkar (@MissionAmbedkar) August 3, 2021
Abhinandita Dayal Mathur, Advisor to the AAP ruled Delhi government tweeted, ‘We pledge to leave no stone unturned to get justice for the little girl.’
We pledge to leave no stone unturned to get justice for the little girl. #JusticeForDelhiCanttGirl https://t.co/us1GwXp14j
— Abhinandita Dayal Mathur (@abhinandita_m) August 2, 2021
Based on the statement given by the girl’s mother, an FIR has been registered against the priest and three other men. Crematorium’s priest has been taken into custody.
Also read: Allahabad HC: UP Police violated human rights in Hathras rape case
