Dalit minor's rape and murder case: Rahul, Kejriwal meet victim's family; BJP condemns heinous rape

Politicians from across party lines demanded justice for the family of the nine-year-old Dalit girl, who was allegedly raped and killed in the national capital. The child's parents claimed that she was forcibly cremated by a crematorium priest who had allegedly claimed that she was electrocuted.

The matter did gather political steam as Opposition slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who oversees public order and police as per the special laws that govern power distribution in the National Capital Territory, even as the centrally-governed Delhi Police said strict legal action has been taken against the accused.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who visited the girl's family on Wednesday, said that he was with them on the path to justice.  "I told them that Rahul Gandhi is standing with them till they get justice and will not back down even an inch," he told reporters after meeting the parents of the victim. Later, in a tweet in Hindi, the former Congress chief said, "Her parents' tears are saying only one thing - their daughter, the daughter of this country, deserves justice. And I am with them on this path to justice."

माता-पिता के आँसू सिर्फ़ एक बात कह रहे हैं-
उनकी बेटी, देश की बेटी न्याय की हक़दार है।

और इस न्याय के रास्ते पर मैं उनके साथ हूँ। pic.twitter.com/ewgzGkWrHd

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 4, 2021

Gandhi had also tweeted on Tuesday about the incident, saying a Dalit's daughter is also the daughter of the country.

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati demanded strict action against the culprits in the alleged rape and murder case.  "The brutal murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl after rape and then burning her body in Nagal village of Delhi Cantt is very sad and shameful. BSP demands strict action against the culprits and necessary steps to prevent recurrence of such incidents," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.

दिल्ली कैण्ट के नागल गाँव में 9 वर्षीय दलित लड़की की रेप के बाद उसकी नृशंस हत्या व फिर उसके शव को जला देने की घटना अति-दुःखद व शर्मनाक। दोषियों के विरुद्ध अविलम्ब सख्त कार्रवाई करने व ऐसी घटनाओं की पुनरावृति रोकने के लिए जरूरी कदम उठाने की बीएसपी की माँग।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 4, 2021

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also met the victim's family and announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh while also ordering a magisterial probe. He also said that the Delhi government will assist the family in hiring the best lawyers to fight their case.

बच्ची के परिवार से मिला, उनका दर्द बांटा-

- परिवार को 10 लाख रुपए की आर्थिक सहायता देंगे

- मामले की मजिस्ट्रेट जांच होगी

- दोषियों को सजा दिलवाने के लिए बड़े वकील लगायेंगे

केंद्र सरकार दिल्ली में क़ानून व्यवस्था दुरुस्त करने के लिए कड़े कदम उठाए, हम पूरा सहयोग करेंगे

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 4, 2021

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday slammed Home Minister Shah saying that he went to Uttar Pradesh to "distribute certificates" but was "unable to handle his own responsibility".

"The incident with the minor girl in Delhi's Nangal is painful and condemnable. Think about what her family must be going through," Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

"The home minister, who is responsible for maintaining law and order in Delhi, had gone to Uttar Pradesh to distribute certificates but is unable to handle his own responsibility," the Congress general secretary said.

दिल्ली, नांगल में नाबालिग बच्ची के साथ हुई घटना दर्दनाक एवं निंदनीय है। सोचिए क्या बीत रही होगी उसके परिवार पर?

दिल्ली में कानून व्यवस्था के जिम्मेदार गृहमंत्री जी यूपी सर्टिफिकेट बांटने गए थे, लेकिन खुद की जिम्मेदारी नहीं संभाल पा रहे हैं।

हाथरस से नांगल तक: जंगलराज है।

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 3, 2021

Her remarks were in reference to Shah's visit to Uttar Pradesh earlier this week during which he praised the Yogi Adityanath government for taking the state to the "top spot" in law and order.

Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad demanded justice for the child. "The case should be investigated in a proper way. It was a lie that the girl died due to electrocution. They cremated her body without the presence of the family. We have heard that the parents of the girl were also pressurised to give a statement accordingly," Azad said.

"Due to social media, people got to know about the incident and extended their support. I have come here today. The family should get justice and the accused should be punished," he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, defended itself by elaborating on the police action taken so far while also slamming its detractors.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said: "We all condemn the heinous rape of a nine-year-old child. Law enforcement agencies are doing their jobs and four people have already been arrested in the case. Scheduled Caste Commission chief and Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police had also visited the victim's family."

He, however, soon shifted focus on Gandhi who had visited the family today, stating that the Congress leader was right to point out that the Dalit girl was India's daughter. Patra then questioned Gandhi as to why he was silent on similar crimes reported from Congress-ruled states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Chhattisgarh.

कल राहुल गांधी जी ने ट्वीट किया कि दलित की बेटी हिंदुस्तान की बेटी है। इसमें कोई दो मत नहीं है। उसे न्याय मिलना ही चाहिए।

लेकिन क्या राजस्थान की दलित बेटी, छत्तीसगढ़ की दलित बेटी और पंजाब की दलित बेटी, जिसके साथ जघन्य अपराध होता है, क्या ये हिंदुस्तान की बेटियां नहीं हैं? pic.twitter.com/Qq6RJ7nkuV

— BJP (@BJP4India) August 4, 2021

Police had on Monday said that based on the statement of the victim's mother, rape charges have been added in the FIR. Four people, including the priest, have been arrested.

The girl lived with her parents in the village in a rented house in front of a crematorium. On Sunday at around 5.30 pm, she went to get cold water from a cooler at the crematorium after informing her mother, her parents said.

Around 6 pm, the crematorium's priest, Radhey Shyam, and two-three other people, known to the girl's mother, called her there and showed her daughter's body claiming that she got electrocuted while getting water from the cooler.

There were burn marks between her left wrist and elbow, and her lips were also blue, a senior police officer had said.

It was alleged the priest and the others dissuaded her mother from making a PCR call, saying police will make a case out of it and during the post-mortem, doctors will steal the girl's organs, so it was better to cremate her.

The girl was cremated but later the woman with her husband raised a hue and cry that it was done without their consent. A crowd of 200 villagers gathered there and a PCR call was made from the spot.

The PCR call was received at the Delhi Cantt police station around 10.30 PM on Sunday regarding the rape and death of a minor girl, following which a team rushed to the spot.

With inputs from PTI