A priest and three men alleged to have raped and murdered a 9-year-old girl in India have been arrested. Police said Thursday that the four men have now been charged with rape, murder, and criminal intimidation.
The girl initially went missing on Sunday night after she was asked by her mother to fetch water from a well near a crematorium in Purani Nangal just outside Delhi. Her mother, who belonged to the impoverished Dalit caste, said she was told by a priest near the well that her daughter was electrocuted and died.
The mother said that the men, then, locked her and her husband, who had arrived later at the scene, inside the crematorium. The priest and three other men proceeded to throw the little girl's lifeless body onto a funeral pyre. The group, reportedly, threatened the two and said that, if they reported the incident to the police, they would steal the child's organs.
Authorities said an angry mob had marched towards the crematorium after learning about their identities on Wednesday. Police said they had to save the men from the angry mob who had severely beaten all of them. Delhi officials said they are still conducting an investigation into the murder, which was difficult because most of the girl's body was unrecoverable.
The killing of the girl sparked immediate outrage from women's rights groups and the general public. For our straight days since Monday, protesters have been holding demonstrations, demanding justice. Some protesters have blocked major roads while holding banners demand the death of the four suspects. Others have also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for staying silent about the issue.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the incident as "shameful" and "barbaric." Parliament member and the leader of the main opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi, said the girl, which he described as the "daughter of this country" deserved to get justice.
Violence against women has been a long-standing political issue in India. Government data showed that more than 32,000 women had been raped in the country in 2019, which translates to about four women every hour. Experts said the majority of the incidents are not reported.
Ranjana Kumari, the former head of the rape crisis intervention center in Delhi, said the conviction rate for rape in the country remains at only 24%. She said caste bias and improper investigation have led to hundreds of unpunished crimes.
