Face of unity: Muslim-dominated Haryana panchayat elects Hindu woman as sarpanch
Gurugram, Apr 5 (PTI): The Muslim-dominated Siroli village in Haryana's Nuh district has elected its sole Hindu panchayat member as the sarpanch, an officer here said.
Thirty-year-old Nisha Chauhan was elected as Siroli sarpanch on April 2.
According to a senior panchayat officer, Siroli panchayat under the Punahana block has 15 members, of which 14 are Muslims and eight are women. The post of Siroli sarpanch is reserved for women.
Only 250 out of the 3,296 voters in the village are Hindus.
According to panchayat officer Nasim, the panchayat election was held in December 2022. However, the winning candidate, Sahana, was sacked some months later after her education certificates were found to be fake.
The newly elected sarpanch said that her victory is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity.
"My village is Muslim-dominated but the old tradition of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood still exists there. In true sense, there is no religious discrimination in the Mewat area, a living example of which is my election as sarpanch. My victory is a message of communal brotherhood in the entire area," said Chauhan.
Former Siroli sarpanch and a current ward member, Ashraf, said the panchs have chosen Chauhan in the hope for better administration.
"Here Hindus and Muslims are in harmony. We fully participate in each other's happiness and sorrow," Ashraf said.
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11-year-old dies by suicide after sexual assault in Bareilly; accused arrested
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl, who later died by suicide due to trauma, police said on Wednesday.
The post-mortem report confirmed sexual assault and multiple injuries on the minor's body, including bite marks and nail scratches. The cause of death was found to be hanging, they said.
According to ASP (South) Anshika Verma, the incident came to light on 27 April, when the girl, a Class 8 student, was found hanging at her home in Deoria Abdullaganj village under the Mirganj police station area. Initially, the family reported the death as suicide and was reluctant to pursue police action.
"The autopsy report changed the course of the investigation. It confirmed sexual assault and noted severe physical trauma. The cause of death was confirmed as hanging," Verma said.
A breakthrough in the case came from the statement of the victim's younger sister, who told police that the accused, Zeeshan (26), a resident of the same village, frequently loitered near the minor's school and allegedly gave her small sums of money to keep his interactions with her a secret, she said.
Police said that on the day of the incident, the accused allegedly lured the minor and assaulted her. Distressed by the incident, the child later took her own life while her mother was away, police said.
"Based on technical surveillance, CCTV footage, and statements from the family, we established Zeeshan's involvement. He was arrested near the Mirganj weekly market on Tuesday," they said.
