Because She Was Dalit: Accused Persons Admit In Delhi Cantt Rape Chargesheet

According to the chargesheet filed in Delhi Cantt gangrape case by the police, the two accused persons, priest and the factory worker have admitted that they allegedly raped the minor girl because she was Dalit.

The incident took place on August 1 when a 9-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped in Delhi's Old Nangal area and then cremated without the consent of her parents by the accused persons.

As per a report by Indian Express, the chargesheet of the case also quotes witnesses who claim to have talked to the accused persons about the incident. A public witness' account before a Magistrate in August 27 is also part of the chargesheet. The police have included two public accounts in their case against the four accused persons in the case. The priest of the crematorium, Radhey Shyam (55), Laxmi Narayan (48), Kuldeep Singh (63) and Salim Ahmed (49). Two witnesses in the case have claimed that they spotted Shyam and Kuldeep carrying the body of the Dalit girl from one hall to another. However, they did not suspect that anything was wrong.

Another witness who got to know about the incident over a phone call claimed that he was asked for help by the accused persons. The accused persons allegedly confessed to him that they had raped and killed a girl. According to Delhi police chargesheet, the witness asked the accused persons Shyan and Kuldeep about why they committed the crime to which they replied, " a Dalit by caste, that's why". 

The witness named local police officers who are ACP, SHO and IO in the area and said that they started lathi charging him when he tried to put out the burning pyre. The second witness also said that one accused Salim took him away from the crowd and confessed that they raped and cremated the girl by mistake and asked for his help, as per his reported court statement.

The chargesheet had also mentioned that Shyam's confessing who disclosed that he had sexually assaulted the deceased girl before also. She allegedly died by suffocation while Shyam and Kuldeep covered her mouth during rape.