The mother of the nine-year-old Dalit girl, who was found dead at a crematorium at Southwest Delhi four days ago, points to her daughter’s toys — a board game and a small drum. Inside the family’s one-room home, there’s also a pair of small white shoes with golden heels. “My daughter was smart, she used to make everybody laugh,” she says.
The girl’s mysterious death and hurried cremation — the family has alleged she was raped — has prompted outrage in the national capital, and triggered a political firestorm.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the family and demanded justice while the BJP’s Sambit Patra accused him of “using the case” to further his political agenda. And child rights body NCPCR asked Twitter to take action against Rahul’s handle for sharing a photo of the girl’s family, saying it violates the Juvenile Justice and POCSO Acts.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death and cremation, and announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh after meeting the family.