Ending a four-day deadlock, father of the 13-year-old girl who was molested and pushed to death from a moving bus, on Sunday agreed to the post-mortem and cremation under “duress”, besides accepting the offer of compensation and a Government job. Following the father’s approval, the girl’s body was shifted to Faridkot for post-mortem on Sunday. The cremation of the teenager took place at Moga’s lande Ke Village later on Sunday evening.
The development came as an under-attack Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal described the incident as “intolerable” and “painful” and police claimed that all the four accused had been arrested. It also assumes significance as the victim’s family had earlier alleged that the cops were “pressurising” them to settle for a compromise. The victim girl’s father had stuck to his demand for registration of a case against Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal and others who own the Orbit bus service.
It has been learnt that the Orbit bus company will pay compensation of Rs24 lakh to the victim’s family and not the Punjab Government. The company has handed over the cheque to Red Cross Society which would give it to the victim’s family. In addition, one of the family members will also get a Government job.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family has alleged that the consent was taken by the Government authorities “forcibly” and using pressure tactics. It has been learnt that the girl’s father was forcibly taken away from the dharna site at the Moga Civil Hospital.
So far, the father had been refusing to perform the cremation till a case was filed against Sukhbir Badal and others, who own the Orbit bus service, and cancellation of licence to the company. The body of the girl had been lying in a mortuary as family members had been staging a sit-in along with some local politicians to press their demands.
“Whatever the State Government has offered to us is acceptable to me. They have fulfilled our demands and have assured us that my daughter’s killer will be punished,” said the victim’s father. About compensation, he said that he did not know about the quantum. “I cannot say about compensation. Whatever has been given to me is sufficient for me. I am happy that I will move away from here with my daughter,” he said.
The Government had earlier offered a compensation of Rs 20 lakh, a Government job for her mother, her free treatment and holding trial of the case in a fast track court but the family had rejected it. He also sought an end to the protest launched over this matter. “This protest should now come to an end...my daughter has already died. If my wife (who is in hospital) dies, then what will be the use of my lifeIJ Now I want to lead a normal life,” he said.
Thanking those who supported him, he insisted, “Nobody including the Government or any officer has ever threatened me (for compromise).” District Administration, on the other hand, has ruled out the possibility of registration of case against bus owners-the Badals, saying that it was not legally possible. Meanwhile, four days after the teenage girl died, a CCTV footage has shown the vehicle being driven recklessly on a highway, just minutes before the incident.
The CCTV video, that surfaced on Sunday, showed the bus speeding on the four-lane Moga-Kotkapura Highway before dangerously swerving to the right. It showed that the bus narrowly avoided a collision with a tractor which was coming from the opposite direction. The bus then halts on the opposite lane and picks up the cleaner Amar Ram who alongwith three others - including the conductor - later allegedly abused the 13-year-old girl and her mother before throwing them off the bus.
Meanwhile, the Centre said it would take necessary steps after it receives the State Government’s report on the Moga incident. Advocating caution while commenting on incidents involving women, Union Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju said: “When it comes to incident related to women, we all have to be very, very specific. That is why Ministry of Home Affairs has asked for a report and before it gets us, we will not be in a position to react. But I am sure the Punjab Government was taking appropriate steps.”
Sunday’s breakthrough came during a meeting between senior civil and police officials and family members even as protesters alleged that the State Government forced its decision on the family. Meanwhile, keeping in view of security, the girl’s body which had been lying in mortuary at Singhpura village here was taken to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital at Faridkot, 55 km from here, for post mortem, official spokesman said here.
Meanwhile, facing severe criticism over “not properly handling the matter”, Punjab Police ADGP Iqbal Singh Sahota on Sunday met the victim’s family and took their son for identification parade of the accused. Sahota, who is Director of the recently-constituted Bureau of Investigation by the State Government, assured the family members that there would be “proper and flawless” investigation in this matter.
Police was facing the ire from several quarters for not recording the statement of boy who was also in the bus along with girl and his mother at the time of incident. Earlier on Sunday, the Chief Minister said he will be meeting the family of the victim. “This (Moga bus incident) is intolerable. The death of a girl in such conditions is very painful to me...I am going to Moga (to meet the family of girl),” Badal, who was in Patiala to pay homage to the mother of former Minister Ajaib Singh Mukhmailpur, told reporters.
Expressing deep sorrow over the death of teenage girl, he said that one could not compensate the loss of death. However, he refused to make any comment on the visit of Opposition party leaders to Moga over the issue. The State Government has been facing the ire from several quarters including AAP and Congress over the incident, particularly since no Cabinet Minister yet had gone to meet the family of victim at Moga.
Opposition parties including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party have sharpened their attack against the SAD-BJP regime, alleging “lawlessness” in the State and “insensitive” attitude of the Badal Government which they wanted to be dismissed. Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Indian Youth Congress president Amarinder Raja Warring on Sunday went to Moga to visit family members of victim.
Accusing the State Government of being “insensitive” over the matter, Bajwa alleged that “complete ‘Jungle Raj’ prevails” in the State. “The employees of Orbit bus behave in the same way as bus owners do. Bus drivers (Orbit) are as reckless as Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab. It is a complete Jungle Raj in the State,” Bajwa alleged.
Bhattal sought strict action against the Government. “Punishment should be such that it should act as a lesson for the criminals,” she said. Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal, an estranged nephew of Badal, also went to Moga and promised to bear all the education expenses of their son while inquiring the health of woman in the hospital.
He criticised the fact that no case has been registered against the bus owners. “If in Uphaar cinema tragedy, owners of Ansal were prosecuted and similarly in Bhopal gas tragedy, the company’s MD was prosecuted, then why the same action cannot be taken in case of Moga bus incident. The law cannot be different,” he said.
Referring to Sukhbir’s decision of keeping the Orbit buses off the road, Badal described it as a “shrewd” move. AAP leader HS Phoolka while targeting the SAD-BJP Government alleged that there was a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery in the State. He also wrote a letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, demanding dismissal of Badal-led State Government.