Ramdev supporter cremated in Haryana village

Baba Ramdev, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Sushma Swaraj and Smriti Irani and others were present at the cremation in Butana village, 80 km from New Delhi, along with her family members and hundreds of villagers.

Ramdev told reporters that Raj Bala was a “martyr” and that her sacrifice would not be allowed to go in vain. “The government and the police, who are responsible for her murder, should be held accountable for this. Those behind her murder should get death penalty,” Ramdev said.

Rakesh Malik, the victim's daughter-in-law, told IANS that Raj Bala's condition had been deteriorating in recent days. The victim and her family lived in Gurgaon town, adjoining the national capital, and she had been going to Baba Ramdev’s anti-corruption protest at the Ramlila ground in June.

Family members said that they were still in grief and had not decided to file a case in this matter. "We are not after compensation. We will decide later if a case needs to be filed against anyone. We all know at whose behest the police action was ordered on Baba's supporters," a relative told IANS.

The 51-year-old woman, who slipped into coma after suffering a spinal injury on the night of June 4-5, died Monday after being hospitalised for 114 days in the capital's G.B. Pant hospital.

She was the most seriously injured among the 100 Ramdev supporters who suffered a variety of wounds after Delhi Police used batons and fired tear gas to disperse the thousands from the Ramlila ground.