Dehradun: The Congress on Monday said the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all BJP leaders on the murder of the receptionist of a resort in Uttarakhand shows their insensitivity.
Addressing a press conference here, state Congress president Karan Mahara questioned the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the case and said the party does not have faith in the police investigation.
The body of the 19-year-old girl, who worked at the Vanantara resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district, was found in the Cheela canal close to Rishikesh on Saturday, six days after her parents reported her missing.
She was allegedly killed by Pulkit Arya, resort owner and former BJP leader and state minister Vinod Arya’s son, and two other employees when she resisted their attempts to offer “special services” to customers.
Pulkit and his two accomplices have been arrested in the case.
Mr Mahara said it is sad that neither did the prime minister make any statement on Uttarakhand’s daughter nor did he tweet about it.
“It is very shameful. Today, the prime minister, women leaders of the BJP and the entire BJP organisation have been exposed. While the Congress and other parties are protesting against the incident across the state, the BJP, its allies and women leaders are nowhere to be found,” he said.
On the SIT set up by the state government to probe the case, the Congress leader said police officials are shaking hands with the father of the main accused in the case and talking to him. It can be understood from this how much pressure must be there on the SIT.
He said the delay on the part of the police in registering a missing complaint and in seeking remand of the accused even after arresting them raises doubts.
Mr Mahara alleged that the resort owned by Pulkit Arya was bulldozed to destroy evidence.
Which VIP is the government trying to save, he asked.
Violent protests had erupted in areas surrounding the resort with local people breaking its window panes and some trying to torch a pickle factory on its premises as the news of the murder spread.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary and former chief minister Harish Rawat visited the teen’s residence in Shrikot village near Srinagar and met her family members.
He told her family that he is standing with them in their fight for justice.
During the visit, the villagers gave a memorandum to Mr Rawat seeking financial assistance of Rs 1 crore for the bereaved family and a government job for one of its members. Besides, they sought that a road and school be named after her.
The victim’s father Virendra supported the demands of the villagers. He demanded that the culprits be hanged after being tried in a fast-track court.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar on Sunday assured the victim’s family that the police will produce enough evidence in court to hang her killers.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited and is published from a syndicated feed.)
