Dalit killings: Haryana govt recommends CBI probe; CM to meet bereaved family Thursday

Faridabad: The Haryana government on Wednesday recommended CBI probe into the killing of two Dalit children who were burnt alive at a village in Faridabad district yesterday.

"Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has recommended a CBI probe in the incident. A SIT has also been formed which is headed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Puran Chand," Khattar's media advisor, Amit Arya said.

He also said four accused in the case have been arrested so far, as per PTI.

The government has announced Rs 10 lakh and a job to the victims' family, he added.

Arya said the CM would visit the village tomorrow and meet the bereaved family.

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) of the state police will probe the case before CBI takes it over, police sources said.

Once the CBI probe gets notified, the investigation details will be handed over to them as per procedure.

Haryana DGP YP Singal said the situation in the Sanped village was under control and the Dalit family had agreed to conduct the last rites of the two toddlers.

He said the Officer in-charge Ballabgarh Police station Anil Kumar and seven other policemen have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the incident.

Singhal said the incident, according to investigations so far, was the result of enmity between Dalit and the Rajput families of the village.

While Vaibhav and his sister Divya had perished in the blaze, their mother Rekha, 28, suffered serious burns and is battling for life in a Delhi hospital.

Their father Jitender, 31, also received injuries while trying to save them.

The killers were alleged to have poured petrol into their house from an open window and set it alight after locking the doors from outside.

Meanwhile, Sanped earlier today had erupted in grief and indignation, with the locals blocking Delhi-Agra highway with the bodies of the children in protest as politicians joined them in mourning the horrific killings.

As the the bodies of two-and-a-half-years-old Vaibhav and 11-month-old Divya, wrapped in white shrouds, arrived, the village, about 35 km from the national capital, plunged into grief, as PTI.

Wailing soon gave way to anger and scores of villagers, walking hand in hand and shouting slogans, carried the bodies and placed them on the Delhi-Agra highway, blocking traffic.

As tempers ran high, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visited the village where he accused the Prime Minister, Harayana Chief Minister, the BJP and RSS of practicising "politics of crushing" those who are weak which results in such incidents.

The incident happened despite the presence of a police post at the village.

On the other hand, a police spokesman said in Chandigarh that the incident had its roots in the murder of three persons at the village on October 5, 2014.

The Dalit family to which the two children belonged was allegedly involved in the murders.

The accused in the yesterday's case were related to those murdered in October last year.

After investigation, the accused persons had been arrested in that case on November 28 and November 29, 2014.

The chargesheet was prepared on December 29, 2014 and submitted to the court on January 3, 2015," he said. 

(With PTI inputs)