The Delhi Police on Saturday filed a charge-sheet in a local court against four accused in the rape and murder of a nine-year-old dalit girl in Delhi’s Cantonment area. The 400-page charge-sheet was submitted by the Crime Branch in the Patiala House Court.
The charge-sheet named Radhey Shyam, a 55-year-old priest of a crematorium and its employees—Kuldeep Singh, Salim Ahmad and Laxmi Narayan—as accused, claiming there was sufficient evidence against them.
The accused, who are currently in judicial custody, have been charged under sections 302 (murder), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 376D (gang rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
The accused have also been charge-sheeted under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and Section 3 (offences of atrocities) of the SC/ST Act.
The case was handed over to the Crime Branch on August 5, following which a Special Investigation Team was constituted comprising ACP Sandeep Lamba, ACP Richhpal Singh, Inspector Neeraj, SI Asha and SI Anuj.
“It may be recalled that on the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah’s direction that the investigation be completed speedily and charge sheet be filed within 30 day, the Ministry of Home Affairs had conducted a high level review in which Delhi Police had committed to file the charge sheet within 30 days of the registration of the case, following which a fast track court will conduct the trial into the matter,” the Union Home Ministry said in a statement.
"During the investigation, scientific, technical and other evidences were gathered and analyzed, besides recording testimonies of relevant witnesses. Besides, assistance was taken from Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini as well as Delhi Police’s Forensic Experts on Biology and Odontology. Forensic Psychologists were also engaged during interrogation of the accused," the MHA said.
The dalit girl was allegedly raped and murdered and her body was forcibly cremated by a crematorium priest who, according to the victim’s parents, had falsely claimed that she was electrocuted.
