More than 48 hours after the minor, who had eloped with a Dalit youth last year, was shot dead at point-blank range in a case of honour killing in Rohtak on Wednesday, no one has come forward to claim her body for last rites.
Haryana Police sub-inspector Narender Kumar was also shot dead during the attack.
Rohtak Superintendent of Police Jashandeep Singh Randhawa told
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Though the girl’s family is not expected to claim the body after her biological and foster parents were arrested for the murder, the family of Sombir, who had eloped with her, has written to the police stating that they do not wish to perform her last rites either.
Sombir and his father are in jail at present in connection with a forgery case. His younger brother Dinesh said though they want to perform the girl’s last rites, they feared backlash as she belonged to the Jat community.
“We hope her last rites are performed at the earliest as per Hindu rituals. The body of the sub-inspector has been cremated. But there is no support from our community in the village. We have already been through so much and do not want to take more risks. We are scared to even step out of our home without police protection,” said Dinesh.
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Meanwhile, Haryana State Women Commission Chairperson Pratibha Suman offered to perform the minor’s last rites. “We wrote to the Rohtak police on Thursday directing them not to hand over the body to her family as they are the ones suspected of murder. It will amount to disrespect to all women. We offered to perform her last rites if the youth’s family or any social organisation does not come forward to claim the body. But we have not received any communication from the police so far,” said Ms. Suman.