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.

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