2 Dalit kids burnt alive in Haryana

Two children, including a nine-month-old girl, of a Dalit family were burnt to death when members of an upper caste family set their house on fire in the early hours of Tuesday in Ballabhgarh, Faridabad district, Haryana.

The incident is said to be an outcome of a caste feud between the Dalit family and the upper caste members of the same village.

The Dalit family of four members was fast asleep on the intervening night of October 19 and 20 in the Sunperh village. At least 11 members of an upper-caste family took the opportunity to pour petrol all over their house and on the floor from under the door.
While the parents — Jitender, a medical representative, and Rekha — suffered serious burns, their children Vaibhav (2) and Divya died. Jitender and Rekha were referred to Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi.

The police have registered a case 11 people. Three of the accused — Balwant, Dharam Singh and Kartar — have been arrested.

The incident has its history in a murder that took place on October 5 last year in which the victim’s family was allegedly involved.

The trigger

The Dalit family, including their cousins and uncles, are alleged to have murdered three persons of the accused family, the police said.

Vijay Kumar, Jitender’s brother, said: “It was a well planned murder and he is an eyewitness. The men poured petrol from under the door and the window where my sister-in-law, niece and nephew were sleeping.”

An uneasy calm prevails in the village amid heavy police deployment. The hunt for the other accused is on, the police said.

Expressing shock over the incident, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the victim’s family.