Skip to main content

Hathras repeated? Domestic help's death: Delhi cops 'ignore, detain' victim's family

Family members of the victim 
Counterview Desk
A fact-finding team of the All-India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch comprising of Utkarsha Tomar, Kusum Lata, Cand Asha, has alleged that the family of Neetu, a member of the Other Backward Caste (OBC), who was found dead on October 4 at a residence in Model Town, Delhi, was treated treated in the same way as the family of the Hathras gangrape victim.
Employed as a full-time domestic help for Rs 10,000 per month, the deceased victim’s aunt Kusum reached the residence in Model Town where Neetu was working to find her “lifeless body hanging with a dupatta with several burnt marks on her hands”, said an AIDMAM report, pointing out, in this case as well there was “ forced cremation of the victim”. Worse, the family members of the victims were detained for protesting in front of the house where she was found dead.

AIDMAM report:

With each passing day the atrocity towards women and children from Dalit and minority are on the rise. On October 4, a 17-year-old OBC girl, was found dead at her employer’s house at D10/3, Model Town, Delhi. All-India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch initiated a fact finding on October 19, 2020 comprising of team member Utkarsha Tomar, AIDMAM, Kusum Lata, coordinator, North-Delhi and Asha, coordinator, South Delhi, AIDMAM.
According to the findings of the team, the deceased girl Neetu (17) daughter of Nanhelal from Other Backward Caste (OBC) had been employed in the house of Drupati Bansal, resident of D10/3, Model town as a full-time domestic help for Rs.10,000 per month from September 26, 2020. On October 4, deceased victim’s aunt Kusum reached the D10/3, Model Town, where she found Neetu’s lifeless body hanging with a dupatta with several burnt marks on her hands.
The police officials were already present at Drupati Bansal’s house before the arrival of Kusum and had a very casual attitude at the crime scene. Later, the police authority took the body of the deceased victim without the permission of the victim’s family in an ambulance, and didn’t even bother to share where are they are heading with the deceased.
The victim’s family were detained on October 4, 2020 at Model Town police station till 2am of October 5 for interrogation. On October 7, as the family was not aware about victim’s body, they staged a protest along with some civil society organizations in front of the house of the accused. The family of the victim were taken into custody for protesting and were beaten up badly.
The entire family including victim’s aunts and 65-years old grandmother were manhandled by both men and women Police officers of Model Town, Delhi. The family and other protestors were forced to delete the pictures of Neetu along with other pictures related to the case from their mobile phones. 
After four days of the murder of the girl, on October 8, 2020 the victim’s family got the access to see Neetu’s body, when the family was called again to the Model Town Police Station to identify victim’s body for postmortem. 
Family members staged a protest with NGO help in front of the house of the accused. They were taken into custody and were beaten up badly
The family members were taken to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi in a truck for identifying victim’s body. The most tragic part was the forced cremation of the victim and pressure the police authority on the victim’s family to cremate her as soon as possible. Only the victim’s father and Neetu’s aunt were permitted to go to the cremation ground. 
Even after the 20 days of death of the victim, FIR is not yet registered against the accused family. Use of power by police authority to cremate the body, and not allowing much family member to attend the cremation is very similar to the case of Hathras, where the Hathras victim was also cremated by the police authority without the consent of the family at midnight.
This is a sheer reflection of the shameless, fearless attitude of the police authority and the governing machineries, our hollow democratic institutions and system which is allowing these kinds of incidents to happen one after another.
AIDMAM demands:
  1. Immediate registration of FIR under IPC Section 120B, 321, 326, 341, 302, 376Dand POCSO Act against the accused family members.
  2. Immediate registration of FIR against the erring police officials under section 166A IPC for negligence and refusing the registration of the FIR of the survivors just to shield the police officials who committed brutality against the poor helpless survivors. 
  3. To file the criminal case against the police officials who were involved in the forced cremation of the victims’ body and create pressure on them; for disappearance of the evidence, physical assault and illegal detention of the victims in the police station. 
  4. Initiate the judicial enquiry free from state pressure and political interference. 
  5. Immediate sanction of the monetary compensation to the survivor family under Victim Compensation Scheme and Nirbhaya Fund. 
  6. Protection to be provided to the survivor’s family members. 
  7. A legal counsel (free advocate) should also be provided to the victim’s family by the Delhi State Legal Service Authority to conduct the case in the court at the cost of the state. 
  8. A Fast Track Court should be set up at the earliest to try this case.
---
Click here for details of the case

Comments

TRENDING

'Very low rung in quality ladder': Critique of ICMR study on 'sudden deaths' post-2021

By Bhaskaran Raman*  Since about mid-2021, a new phenomenon of extreme concern has been observed throughout the world, including India : unexplained sudden deaths of seemingly healthy and active people, especially youngsters. In the recently concluded Navratri garba celebrations, an unprecedented number of young persons succumbed to heart attack deaths. After a long delay, ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) has finally has published a case-control study on sudden deaths among Indians of age 18-45.

Savarkar in Ahmedabad 'declared' two-nation theory in 1937, Jinnah followed 3 years later

By Our Representative One of the top freedom fighters whom BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi revere the most, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, was also a great supporter of the two nation theory for India, one for Hindus another for Muslims, claims a new expose on the man who is also known to be the original proponent of the concept of Hindutva.

Reject WHO's 'draconian' amendments on pandemic: Citizens to Union Health Minister

By Our Representative  Several concerned Indian citizens have written to the Union Health Minister to reject amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted during the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA75) in May 2022, apprehending this will make the signatories surrender their autonomy to the “unelected, unaccountable and the whimsical WHO in case of any future ‘pandemics’.”

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah*   The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Union Health Ministry, FSSAI 'fail to respond' to NHRC directive on packaged food

By Our Representative  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed deep concern over the adverse health effects caused by packaged foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats. Recognizing it as a violation of the Right to Life and Right to Health of Indian citizens, the quasi-judicial body called for a response from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding its selection of front-of-pack labels aimed at providing consumers with information to make healthier choices.

Why is electricity tariff going up in India? Who is the beneficiary? A random reflection

By Thomas Franco*  Union Ministry of Power has used its power under Section 11 of the Electricity Act, 2003 to force States to import coal which has led to an increase in the cost of electricity production and every consumer is paying a higher tariff. In India, almost everybody from farmers to MSMEs are consumers of electricity.

SC 'appears to foster' culture of secrecy, does not seek electoral bond details from SBI

By Rosamma Thomas*  In its order of November 2, 2023 on the case of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Union of India contesting constitutional validity of electoral bonds, the Supreme Court directed all political parties to give particulars of the bonds received by them in sealed covers to the Election Commission of India. SC sought that information be updated until September 2023. 

British companies export 'deadly' asbestos to India, other countries from offshore offices

Inside a UK asbestos factory in 1994 before the mineral was banned By Rajiv Shah “The Sunday Times”, which forms part of the powerful British daily, “The Times”, has raised the alarm that though the “deadly” asbestos is banned in Britain, companies registered in United Kingdom, and operating from other countries, “are involved in shipping it to developing nations”, especially India. India, Brazil, Russia and China account for almost 80% of the asbestos consumed globally every year, it adds.