The Bhim Army, BSP and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has called for protests demanding justice for the Dalit teen, set ablaze by two men in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district on Tuesday and died in Safdarjung Hospital Delhi on Thursday.
The 15-year-old student of class X was set on fire by two bike-borne men when she was returning from Asharfi Devi Chidda Singh Intercollege in Naumeel village, about nine kilometres from her house. Two assailants had poured an inflammable liquid on the girl and set her ablaze by a lighter. She died of burn injuries at the Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi Thursday, two days after she was set on fire.
The girl had suffered 55 per cent burn injuries, including facial burns. Her airway was also burnt due to smoke and fumes which was creating a problem for her to breathe, a doctor at Safdarjung Hospital said.
As news of her death reached her village Lalau, people started protesting and squatted on the roads.
Dalit youths have blocked the traffic and raised slogans against the police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as the killers were still at large.
The girl’s family and Bhim army demanded a compensation of ₹1 crore, a government job to the victim’s elder sister and early arrest of the accused. They refused to perform the last rites till their demands were fulfilled.
संजलि की हत्या पर मेनस्ट्रीम मीडिया सभी पोलटिकल पार्टियां चुप्पी साधे बैठी है क्योंकि मरने वाली दलित समाज से थी लेकिन मैं चेतावनी देता हूँ कि हमे कमजोर न समझा जाये 2 अप्रैल का ट्रेलर आप देख चुके है हमारी मांग है इस केस की सीबीआई जांच हो और मुआवजा दिया जाए। #JusticeforSanjli pic.twitter.com/aA2NZtQVwW
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 21, 2018
Speaking to Times Of India, Anil Kardam, Bhim Army’s Agra unit president said, “We have given ultimatum to police to arrest the accused at the earliest, or we will stage a massive protest. The girl and her family had no enmity with anyone. It looks like a conspiracy to instigate tension in the area.”
Former BSP MP from – Seema Upadhay, former BSP MLA – Kalicharan Suman and members of Bhim Army visited the victim’s village and met her relatives.
भारत का कलंक : 10 वी की छात्रा संजली को कल उत्तरप्रदेश के आगरा में कूछ जातिवादी महिला विरोधी हैवानों ने जिंदा जला दिया। घटना से उसका भाई उतना व्यथित हो गया कि उस ने भी जहर खा लिया। अब तक न एक भी दरिंदे की गिरफ्तारी हुई है ना योगी सरकार का कोई बयान तक आया है। @PMOIndia take action pic.twitter.com/5rRc95mAYR
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) December 21, 2018
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, SP, BSP and the Congress members termed the incident as serious and said it reflected on the law and order situation in the state.
Even at this age, she used to take care of all of us and study as well. We had no enmity with anyone. My husband works at a shoe factory and has never gotten into an argument. I cannot think of a reason for a crime like this. Nothing like this has ever occurred on that road before
mother of the teen girl told DNA
“Had we been Rajputs, there would have been street protests, rages, and quick action, but till now there has been no arrest,” she added.
Meanwhile, former chief minister of UP tweeted, “The two incidents including an attempt to rape a girl and setting another on fire prove how much guts the miscreants have. This can happen only when anti-social elements are no more scared of the government or when they get protection from the government.”
Police have detained six suspects from Kagraul, Khaulawa, Naripura, Naumeel and two from the victim’s village and are questioning them.
In another shocking development in the case, a 24-year-old cousin of the girl, , who was briefly called to police station for questioning in the case, later killed himself by consuming poison. According to police, he had gone to Delhi to meet his sister and was disturbed after seeing her condition.
ये हमारी छोटी बहन संजलि जाटव का वीडियो देखिए यदि फिर भी आपका खून न खोले तो समंझ लीजिये आपका खून पानी हो चुका है मैं चन्द्रशेखर आज़ाद चेतावनी देता हूँ यदि इन दरिंदो को पकड़ा नही गया तो 2 अप्रैल की तरह पूरे भारत को बंद कर दूंगा। pic.twitter.com/BDLOnYBYXT
— Chandra Shekhar Aazad (@BhimArmyChief) December 20, 2018
