Rape-murder of Dalit girl: Congress slams AAP, Delhi Police for lack of protection to women
Anil Chowdhury, president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Delhi, said that this incident too would have been suppressed like many others, had Congress leaders not intervened
Four days after the alleged rape and murder of a 9-year-old Dalit girl by a priest and three other men in a Delhi crematorium, the Congress on Wednesday slammed the Delhi Police and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for being careless regarding the protection of women in Delhi. Besides asking for an SC/ST commission in Delhi, they also demanded that the family of the victim be given all necessary support. They said strict punishment should be given to the rapists after a fast-track investigation.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament at Vijay Chowk, Congress leader and member of Parliament Shaktisinh Gohil said, “A poor family used to earn their living through rag picking… They had a daughter... who went to fetch water from a crematorium… where she was raped, murdered and her mother was pressurised to take some money and let her daughter’s body be burned without investigation... The law and order of Delhi is in the control of the Central government… Police imprisoned her mother… when Congress leaders reached there, the mother started crying saying that they (police and criminals) aren’t telling the truth... Only after pressurising the police, they registered an FIR.”
He added that Rahul Gandhi and other leaders met the family and assured them that “this fight is the fight of all the daughters of the country and not of this family alone.”
“If there had been any humanity in the Prime Minister... would have at least met the family… The PM did not even tweet about it,” Gohil said.
Anil Chowdhury, president of the Pradesh Congress Committee, Delhi, said that this incident too would have been suppressed like many others, had Congress leaders not intervened.
“These rapists had told the family that their daughter died of electrocution and if they would call the police... they would take out her organs… It is being said that these people have been accused in the past as well which means that police had knowledge of them. Then why was it ignored? This raises doubts about the police. Had it been inquired, they (rapists) would have been behind bars and this child might have been saved,” Chowdhury said.
He also hit out the Delhi chief minister saying that since 2014, at least 15,000 sexual assault cases were registered in Delhi, including those of girls as young as 5. “Why has the government not taken any step to protect women here?”
He demanded that there be a fast-track investigation in this case and the rapists and murderers be given the death penalty.
“Also an SC/ST commission should be set up in Delhi … There are reports that this family was locked up in the police station to pressurise them... There are many such cases where victim families did not get any justice from the police. Setting up of a commission here will help these people who are unable to raise their voice anywhere,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted to the incident, saying that the police are working to investigate the case thoroughly. Sambit Patra, BJP spokesperson, said that four people have been arrested in this case and justice will be delivered to the family.
Patra, however blamed Congress for being “selective” when it comes to condemning rape. “It is criminal on their (Congress’) part to differentiate between states when it comes to rapes… Yesterday [Tuesday], Rahul Gandhi tweeted that a Dalit’s daughter is a daughter of India, which is not wrong. But is the daughter of a Dalit in Rajasthan not a daughter of India?” he questioned.
On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had tagged a Hindi news clip reporting the incident and tweeted, “Dalit ki beti bhi desh ki beti hai (A Dalit’s daughter is also the daughter of the country).”
Patra also highlighted sexual assault cases in Congress-ruled states and criticised Gandhi for sharing the picture of the parents of the girl, saying Gandhi was resorting to “illegal” means for his “political gains.”
Delhi Police said they have registered a case and arrested all accused persons. Ingit Pratap Singh, deputy commissioner of police (south east) said they are conducting a forensic examination of the clothes of the arrested persons to probe allegations of rape. Police have already collected the clothes worn by the accused persons on the day of the incident. “Apart from the clothes, we are also getting the cooler checked for any sign of electrocution. We are conducting a detailed probe,” said Singh.
Separately, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who visited the girl’s family on Wednesday, said there is a requirement to fix the law and order system in Delhi. “I appeal to the Central government that concrete measures be taken in this regard and the Delhi government will fully cooperate with the Centre in order to fix the law and order situation in the city. Delhi is the national Capital. If such incidents take place in the city, it does not send out a good message about the city. It makes people feel unsafe,” he added.
A board of three doctors will conduct an autopsy of the girl’s charred remains on Wednesday, even as protests by her family members and political activists continue.
The four accused, including a 55-year-old priest of the crematorium, were booked under sections related to rape, murder and threats, and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act. They were sent to jail.
The accused maintain that the girl died of electrocution while fetching water from an electric cooler, but the family has alleged that the suspects hurriedly cremated the body after threatening the family against informing the police about her death.
