In a Delhi crime sure to stomp any faith on humanity that’s left among us, a 9-year-old girl was raped by a priest and 3 others. Further, the group allegedly cremated the girl’s body later. The alleged accused in this situation are workers of a crematorium in South-West Delhi’s Cantonment area. According to the police, the 4 accused were later arrested after the victim’s family protested claiming foul play in the incident.

Contents hide
1. Details
2. The Facts of the Matter
3. Suspects Lied to Victim’s Mother, Family Smells Foul Play
4. Who are the accused? What are they charged with?
5. The crime as it happened

Details

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse

Priests turning into predators is unfortunately not unheard of. Earlier this year, a priest along with his accomplice gang-raped a 50-year-old Anganwadi worker and left her to die in a temple with her ribs and legs broken and her private parts ruptured. The incident was reported from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. Now, the national capital has witnessed another such incident with a 9-year-old girl being gang-raped by a priest and 3 others.

The Facts of the Matter

The horrific crime happened near Delhi cantonment region. The 4 men, after raping the young child, cremated her body without taking her parents’ consent or involving the police in the matter. According to the police, after the family and the people from the village of the victim’s family staged a protest alleging a foul play in how the matters turned out, the police took matters in hand and later arrested the accused.

Also Read: Kerala Rape Case: Twist in the Tale as Survivor Moves SC With Plea to Marry Convict Priest

Suspects Lied to Victim’s Mother, Family Smells Foul Play

The police claimed that the accused lied to the victim’s mother that her daughter was electrocuted to death. Further, the accused also told the mother to not inform the police about the death of her daughter. As the accused were frightened of being suspects to a crime, they told the victim’s mother that the police will send the body of her daughter to autopsy where the doctors will remove her vital organs and sell them.

“They told her that the girl was electrocuted to death while having water from the cooler. They showed her the burn marks on her daughter’s wrist and elbow, and said her lips had turned blue. The four men asked the girl’s mother to not inform the police about the death. They told her that the police will register a case and the body will be sent for an autopsy, during which doctors will remove her vital organs and sell them. The four then cremated the body,”

-said a police official, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

Also Read: #ArrestLucknowGirl: FIR Against Girl Who Constantly Beats A Cab Driver at Traffic Signal, Netizens Demand Equal Justice

Who are the accused? What are they charged with?

The 4 men, including the priest, are booked under multiple sections of IPC (Indian Penal Code) – Section 302 (Punishment for murder), Section 376 (Punishment for rape), and Section 506  (Punishment for criminal intimidation).

Further, relevant sections from the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and SC/ST Act are imposed on the men. After the investigation, the police were able to identify the suspects as Radhey Shyam, the crematorium Salim, Laxmi Narayan and Kuldeep, the three other employees in the crematorium and his accomplice in the crime.

Also Read: Here’s the list of countries with the highest ‘Rape Crime Rate’ in the World

The crime as it happened

Reportedly, the girl and her family lived in a rented place near to the crematorium. The little 9-year-old girl went to the water cooler at the crematorium to fetch water. A horrifying half-any-hour later, the 55-year-old priest called the victim’s mother and showed the mother her daughter’s body.

After the incident, Rajendra Pal Gautam, Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister, took to the protest site.

Further, Aam Aadmi Party took to Twitter and wrote, “Police should conduct fair investigation. If not then Delhi government will carry out a magisterial enquiry.”

Meanwhile opposition came down hard on Aam Aadmi Party and Delhi Congress said his party will not let Delhi to “turn into another Hathras”.