Delhi Police file 400-page charge sheet in rape-murder of minor dalit girl

New Delhi: The Delhi Police filed a 400 page charge sheet in the court on Saturday against a crematorium priest and three others for alleged rape and murder of a minor dalit girl in the Delhi Cantonment area earlier this month.

The report was filed before Duty Magistrate Manu Shree, who kept it for the consideration of the court concerned for August 31.

The 400-page final report named Radhey Shyam, the 55-year-old priest of the crematorium in South-West district, and its employees - Kuldeep Singh, Salim Ahmad and Laxmi Narayan as accused - claiming there was sufficient evidence against them.

The accused were charged under sections 302 (murder), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 376D (gang rape), 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

The four have also been charge-sheeted under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and Section 3 (offences of atrocities) of the SC/ST Act. All the accused are currently in judicial custody.

"The case was transferred to the Crime Branch of Delhi Police on August 5 following which a Special Investigation Team was (SIT) was constituted for speedy investigation," said a statement issued by the Delhi Police. The final report has also included a report by the special investigating team,

The Delhi Police registered FIR against the four on the basis of the statement of the minor's mother on August 3, who alleged that her daughter was raped and murdered and later cremated without the family's consent in Nangal village in the Delhi Cantonment area.on August 1.

Meanwhile, In its statement, the Union Home Ministry, under which the Delhi Police functions, said the charge sheet was filed after Home Minister Amit Shah had given directions for speedy completion of investigation and filing of the charge sheet within 30 day so that the victim family gets speedy justice.

"Filing of charge sheet by the Delhi Police shows the zero tolerance and commitment of the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act speedily to ensure stringent punishment for those committing crimes against women and girls," the statement added.