Anger is growing against the brutal rape of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in Delhi Cantonment with activists demanding stringent action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The Dalit child lived in Delhi Contonement’s Old Nangal village. What has left activists incensed was the hurried fashion in which the rape victim’s body was cremated. This has prompted many to draw a parallel with what happened to another Dalit rape victim in Hathras last year. The 19-year-old Dalit girl in Hathras, who died after being gang-raped, was hurriedly cremated at midnight.
Bezwada Wilson of Safai Karmachari Andolan tweeted, “#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.”
#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
According to India Today, the girl had stepped out of her house to drink water from the water cooler at the crematorium at 5.30 PM on Sunday. She, however, never returned home.
Half an hour later, the priest of the crematorium, Radhey Shyam, who was accompanied by few others called the girl’s mother to inform that her daughter had died after being electrocuted while drinking water from the water cooler. Radhey Shayam and his associates also allegedly asked the mother to not report the matter to the police.
The India Today report added that girl’s mother found injury marks on the victim’s wrist and elbow adding that her lips were blue. The girl was later cremated allegedly without her mother’s consent.
our leaders are here. where are the other leaders? the alleged rape and murder of a 9-year-old dalit girl in the capital of the country, isn’t a reason enough to shake your soul? what is the reason for your ignorance? SPEAK UP.#DalitLivesMatter #JusticeForDelhiCanttGirl pic.twitter.com/b1IVNxvm7j
— Agatha Srishtie ???? (@SrishtyRanjan) August 3, 2021
#Attention A 9-year-old Dalit girl was gang-raped, murdered & then immediately forcibly burnt by the Pandit to save the culprits. The victim's family was beaten by the police the whole night, asking them to change their statements. #DalitLivesMatterpic.twitter.com/15TJsT8DSI
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) August 2, 2021
#Horrible 9-year-old Dalit girl (from Valmiki Community) forcefully burnt in a cremation ground by priests in Delhi's Nangal, family alleges gang-rape and murder by Hindu pandits. #DalitLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/N75T8e99zu
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) August 2, 2021
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the family members of the victim.
The Delhi Police, according to the Hindustan Times website, have arrested four people namely Radhey Shyam, the 55-year-old priest of the crematorium, and three employees Salim, Laxmi Narayan and Kuldeep.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is being urged to intervene in the matter since the humanity-shaming incident had taken place in the national capital. The Delhi Police also reports to the Modi government through the ministry of home affairs.
