New Delhi: The Delhi police on Saturday (August 28) filed a chargesheet in a court in the rape and murder case of a nine-year-old Dalit girl that took place in Delhi Cantonment area earlier this month. 


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The chargesheet has been filed against four accused including Kuldeep Singh, Laxmi Narayan, Radhey Shyam and Salim Ahmad. The 400-page final report submitted by the Crime Branch in the Patiala House Court 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, PTI reported. 


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. They have also been chargesheeted under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act and Section 3 (offences of atrocities) of SC/ST Act.


A statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said, “Filing of chargesheet today by Delhi Police shows the zero tolerance and commitment of Government of India under leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, to act speedily to ensure stringent punishment for those committing crimes against women and girls.”


The rape and murder case was transferred to the Crime Branch of Delhi police on August 5, the police said. 


The final report includes a report by the special investigating team, which was formed by the Crime Branch. 


“During the investigation, scientific, technical and other evidence was gathered and analysed, besides recording testimonies of relevant witnesses. Assistance was taken from Forensic Science Laboratory, Rohini as well as Delhi Police's Forensic Experts on Biology and Odontology,” the official release added. 


A nine-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped and killed by a priest and three employees of a crematorium near Delhi Cantonment in southwest Delhi on August 1, the police had said. On the basis of the victim’s mother’s statement who said that her daughter was raped and murdered and later cremated without their consent, the Delhi police had registered a case against the four accused. 


(With agency inputs)