Delhi rape case: Ramdas Athawale demands capital punishment for culprits

New Delhi, Aug 05: Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Thursday demanded capital punishment for those behind the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old Dalit girl in Delhi and said he will take up the matter with Home Minister Amit Shah.

Athawale also met the family of the girl and assured them of all possible assistance. "Met the family of the girl and assured them of all possible help. I will also meet Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the matter and ensure justice for her. Those behind the heinous crime must be hanged, this is the demand of the RPI (Republican Party of India)," Athawale tweeted in Hindi.

In a statement, Athawale, who is also the president of the RPI, demanded strict action against police if some negligence is found on their part. The girl, according to police, died under mysterious circumstances when she went to get water from a cooler at a crematorium in the Old Nangal area in southwest Delhi.

Her parents have alleged that she was raped and her body was forcibly cremated by a crematorium priest who had falsely claimed that she was electrocuted. Hundreds of locals, including the victim's parents, have been staging a protest near the site of the incident, demanding capital punishment for the convicts.

Police had on Monday said that based on the statement of the victim's mother, rape charges have been added in the FIR. Four people, including the priest, have been arrested. The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) has also launched an inquiry into the incident.