New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the family of the minor girl who was allegedly raped, murdered, and cremated without her parents' consent in Delhi's Old Nangal crematorium. "I spoke with the family, they want justice & nothing else. They're saying that justice is not being given to them & they should be helped. We will do that. I have said that I am standing with them," Rahul Gandhi said.
"Parents' tears are saying only one thing- Their daughter, the daughter of the country deserves justice. And I am with them on this path of justice," tweeted Rahul, minutes after he had met the parents of the minor girl. Earlier on Tuesday, the Gandhi scion had shared a media report of the incident on the microblogging site and tweeted, "The daughter of a Dalit is also the daughter of the country."
Read: Delhi: Minor girl found dead, parents allege rape
Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had also demanded capital punishment for the culprits. "The murder of a 9-year-old innocent in Delhi after the rape is very shameful. There is a need to improve law and order in Delhi. The culprits should be given capital punishment at the earliest. Going to meet the victim's family tomorrow, will do everything possible to help the family in this fight for justice," Kejriwal had tweeted.
A nine-year-old girl, resident of Delhi's Cantonment area was allegedly raped and murdered on Sunday. The issue came to light after the minor girl was cremated without her parents' consent at Old Nangal crematorium after she was found dead there. A priest working at the crematorium, who had pressurized the family to perform the last rites of the dead body, had been charged with murder.
Read: Minor girl dancer raped in Bihar's Gopalganj district
According to the parents, the minor girl had gone to get cold water from the water cooler at the crematorium, but did not return for a long time. It was then that they were informed by the priest that the girl allegedly died of electrocution while trying to get cold water from the water cooler. The priest had also told the girl's parents to refrain from filing a case in the police station, saying that if the girl's body would be taken to a hospital, her organs would be stolen. The girl's parents and relatives have also alleged that burn marks were observed on the body of their daughter, unlike that of an electrocution.
The accused priest and three other men have been booked under Sections 302, 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, along with the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act. On the other hand, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also took a Suo motu cognizance of the allegedly rape, murder, and cremation of the minor girl without her parents' consent, and has written to the DCP South West, asking him to furnish a detailed report within 48 hours. Even the Delhi Commission for Women too has taken cognizance of the matter and has sought a report on the same.
