DCW initiates inquiry into death of minor Dalit girl in Delhi's Nangal
Opposition targets Amit Shah over law and order
New Delhi, Aug 3: The Delhi Commission For Women has initiated an inquiry into the death of a minor Dalit girl under suspicious circumstances in southwest Delhi and has summoned the city police in the matter.
Police said the nine-year-old girl died under suspicious circumstances and her parents alleged she was raped and then cremated without their consent on Sunday. They said four people, including the priest, have been arrested.
The DCW has instituted an inquiry into the death of the girl in Delhi Cantonment, the panel said.
The commission had received a call on its 181 Women Helpline on August 1 at 12:35 am regarding the incident. It immediately sent a team to the police station and assisted the family in filing an FIR in the matter.
While stating that the case is "very serious" and merits "urgent attention', the panel summoned the deputy commissioner of southwest district to be present before it on August 5 and produce the complete case file along with a copy of the FIR.
It directed that the senior police officer also produce a copy of the statements of the family recorded under section 164 of the CrPC, details of the accused arrested and a detailed action taken report in the matter.
"If you fail to comply with this order without lawful excuse , you will be subjected to the consequences of non-attendance as provided in law," the summon said.
The police said the girl lived with her parents in Old Nangal village in a rented house in front of a crematorium. On Sunday around 5.30 pm, she went to get cold water from a water cooler at the crematorium after informing her mother.
At 6 pm, the crematorium's priest, Radhey Shyam, and two-three other people, known to the girl's mother, called her there and showed her daughter's body claiming that she got electrocuted while getting water from the cooler. There were burn marks between her left wrist and elbow and her lips were also blue, a senior police officer said.
The priest and the others dissuaded her mother from making a call to the police, saying they will make a case out of it and during post-mortem, doctors will steal the girl's organs, so it was better to cremate her, the officer said.
Opposition parties on Tuesday targeted Home Minister Amit Shah over the death of a nine-year-old Dalit girl following an alleged sexual assault, questioning the law and order situation in the national capital, even as the Delhi Police said strict legal action has been taken against the accused.
"What was my daughter's fault? How will I live without her?" the mother of the girl wailed as hundreds of locals, including the victim's parents, staged a protest for the second day near the site of the incident in Old Nangal area in southwest Delhi, demanding capital punishment for the accused.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad also joined the protest and demanded justice for the child.
"The fire was doused by our community members who reached the spot and pulled the legs of my daughter. We need justice for her and the accused should get strict punishment," the girl's mother said.
Only the burnt legs of the girl were recovered from the crematorium ground.
On Tuesday, the Delhi Police appealed to people not to believe in rumours and said that strict legal action has been taken under IPC, SC/ST Act and POCSO Act.
"We appeal to people not to believe in rumours. Strict legal action has been taken under IPC, SC/ST Act and POCSO Act. An ACP rank officer will be the investigating officer. All the accused have been arrested and sent to jail," the Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) said in a tweet.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that there is a need to improve the law and order situation in the national capital, adding that he will meet the victim's family on Wednesday.
"The murder of a nine-year-old innocent in Delhi after subjecting her to brutality is very shameful. There is a need to improve the law and order situation in Delhi. The culprits should be given capital punishment at the earliest, the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that Shah went to Uttar Pradesh to "distribute certificates" but was "unable to handle his own responsibility".
She was referring to Shah's visit to Uttar Pradesh earlier this week during which he praised the Yogi Adityanath government for taking the state to the "top spot" in law and order.
From Hathras to Nangal, there is "jungle raj", Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged.
The Delhi Police comes under the Union Home Ministry.
"The home minister, who is responsible for maintaining law and order in Delhi, had gone to Uttar Pradesh to distribute certificates but is unable to handle his own responsibility," the Congress general secretary said.
Tagging a media report on the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, "A Dalit's daughter is also the daughter of the country."
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also trained his guns on Shah and alleged that the law and order situation in this country is in shambles
"A 9-year-old girl was allegedly raped and forcibly cremated in the national capital, right under the watch of Mr @AmitShah! The law and order situation in this country is in shambles," Banerjee tweeted.
He also targeted Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana.
"The harrowing experiences faced by our women & girls and members from the SC community on a daily basis, show just how INSENSITIVE the HM is," the TMC MP, who is also the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stated.
"Recently appointed Delhi CP Rakesh Asthana who is also a close aide of Mr @AmitShah - already failing his duties? Or does his appointment mean taking care of other businesses?" he added.
Bhim Army chief and Dalit leader Chandra Shekhar Azad said that the case should be investigated properly.
"It was a lie that the girl died due to electrocution. They (accused) cremated her body without the presence of the family. We have heard that the parents of the girl were also pressured to give a statement accordingly," Azad told reporters here.
दिल्ली, नांगल में नाबालिग बच्ची के साथ हुई घटना दर्दनाक एवं निंदनीय है। सोचिए क्या बीत रही होगी उसके परिवार पर?
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 3, 2021
दिल्ली में कानून व्यवस्था के जिम्मेदार गृहमंत्री जी यूपी सर्टिफिकेट बांटने गए थे, लेकिन खुद की जिम्मेदारी नहीं संभाल पा रहे हैं।
हाथरस से नांगल तक: जंगलराज है।
दलित की बेटी भी देश की बेटी है। pic.twitter.com/CdbWkCwePP
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 3, 2021
The law and order situation in this country is in shambles.
— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) August 3, 2021
Recently appointed Delhi CP Rakesh Asthana who is also a close aide of Mr. @AmitShah - already failing his duties? Or does his appointment mean taking care of other businesses?!
SHAME on @BJP4India. (2/2)
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
