Headlines
Moga molestation: Victim cremated, Punjab CM meets family
Moga (Punjab), May 3
The 13-year-old girl who
died after she was molested and pushed out of a bus owned by Punjab
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal's transport company was
cremated on Sunday evening at her native village in Punjab. Chief
Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who met the girl's family on Sunday
evening, said the incident was "very unfortunate".
The cremation
took place amid tight security by Punjab Police. The body was brought by
her family from the Faridkot Medical College and Hospital where her
post-mortem examination was conducted on Sunday evening.
Parkash Singh Badal met the victim's family in Moga town on Sunday evening, four days after the girl died.
Badal
said the incident was "very unfortunate" and directed the director
general of police (DGP) to ensure proper security for women in public
transport.
"I came here as the father of Arshdeep Kaur. As the
chief minister of the state and a father figure, I am personally
responsible for safeguarding the honour of every daughter of Punjab.
Wherever someone tries to outrage the honour of Punjab's daughter, he
will be given exemplary punishment under the strictest provisions of the
law," Badal told the media after spending about 30 minutes with the
victim's family.
The father of the girl and some members of her family had earlier said they agreed to the post-mortem examination.
"I want to take my daughter back home and cremate her. Please let me go now," the victim's father told the media here.
Moga Deputy Commissioner Parminder Singh Gill also said the family had agreed to the post-mortem examination and cremation.
"The post mortem is important as it is a crucial piece of evidence related to the death of the victim," he said.
Official
sources said the government paid a compensation of Rs.24 lakh to the
victim's family and promised to provide a government job to her mother
who was also pushed out of the bus and seriously injured.
Chaos
prevailed at the Civil Hospital complex in Moga town on Sunday afternoon
as the local authorities and police tried to get the consent of the
family.
Heavy police deployment was made outside and inside the
hospital complex as scores of people protested the authorities' bid to
pressurise the family to give its consent for a post-mortem examination
followed by cremation.
Though the Dalit girl died on Wednesday
evening, the family had refused to allow her autopsy and cremation till
the owners of the Orbit Aviation transport company, implying Sukhbir
Badal and others, were booked. The row continued for the past three
days.
Protesters, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
activists, alleged that the authorities and police under pressure from
the Badal family had coerced the victim's father to give consent for the
autopsy and cremation.
The victim, her mother and brother had
boarded the bus at Moga town for Baghapurana town, which is 20 km away,
on Wednesday evening.
The mother and daughter were soon targeted
with indecent gestures and molestation by some goons on the bus. When
the mother and daughter resisted, the molesters, including three bus
staff, pushed them out of the speeding vehicle.
The girl died immediately while the mother was admitted to a hospital in a serious condition.
Following
pressure from various quarters, police arrested four people, including
three staff members of Orbit transport company. They were booked for
murder, attempt to murder and molestation.
Buses of the Orbit transport company were taken off the roads in Punjab on Saturday following orders from Sukhbir Badal.