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The Delhi Police have filed a chargesheet in the Old Nangal area case where a 9-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped and killed by a priest and three others, inside a crematorium, earlier this month. The final report named a 55-year-old priest of a crematorium and three of its employees as accused. All four men have been arrested in the case.
A senior police officer from the crime branch told CNN-News18 that they have completed the investigation and submitted a chargesheet in court.
‘The chargesheet, in this case, has been submitted against the four arrested men in record time keeping in view of the sensitivity of the case. All four are still in jail. The chargesheet has been filed and will be considered in court on Tuesday,” said a senior police officer, who wished not to be named.
The incident took place on August 1, when the 9-year-old girl had gone to a crematorium near her house in the Old Nangal area to fetch cold water from a water cooler. A few hours later a priest working at the crematorium and three others informed the child’s mother that she died of electrocution.
The priest and the other men then advised the girl’s mother not to report the accident to the police, saying that this would lead to a case and eventually a postmortem, where the girl’s organs will be stolen. The men then started cremating the girl but the mother raised an alarm and called her husband. Over 100 villagers also gathered at the crematorium and the police were informed.
A police team that reached the spot recovered the child’s half-burnt body from the pyre and sent it for medical examination. A case was registered by the police and all four men were arrested.
The next day, however, in her statement the mother also alleged that the four men had raped her daughter. Following these allegations, police further added sections of the POCSO Act and IPC 376D for gang rape in the case. Investigations of the case were then transferred to the crime branch.
Three days later, on August 4, the locals and parents of the girl had held massive protests in the Old Nangal area, close to the crematorium, the crime spot.
The same morning, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met the girl’s parents. Gandhi had assured her parents of all legal help possible in the case. Later in the day, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also met the parents and even announced an ex-gratia of rupees 10 lakh for the family.
A senior police officer said a special investigation team (SIT) was formed for expeditious and professional investigation.
‘All technical and other evidence were analysed and brought on record. Senior officers also supervised the investigation on day to day basis. The chargesheet has been submitted after detailed inspection, forensic examination and thorough investigation,” the officer added.
During the investigation, scientific, technical and other evidences were gathered and analysed, 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.
