Arrest Dalit children's killers: CPI-M

Karat accused the Haryana govt of not giving credence to the complaints of Dalits

The CPI-M on Wednesday demanded the immediate arrest of those who killed two Dalit children here.

"It is the utter failure of the administration which ignored the complaints of the Dalit family because of which two innocent babies were burnt to death," CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said.

A CPI-M delegation visited Sunpeda village here and met Jitender Kumar, whose nine-month-old daughter Dibbu and two-year-old son Vaibhav were burnt to death in an arson attack by upper castes.

His wife, Rekha, is fighting for her life in a hospital.

Karat quoted the distraught father as asking: "What is the crime committed by my babies and my wife?"

The man alleged that the killers came at night and threw petrol through an open window and set fire to the house, killing the children and seriously injuring his wife.

"I want justice, but the administration is biased against us," he said.

Karat accused the Haryana government of not giving credence to the complaints of Dalits.

"Even 36 hours later, the chief minister has not bothered to visit the village nor has he deputed any senior minister to the village."

Officials told the delegation that only four of the 11 people named in the police complaint had been arrested.

Karat demanded the immediate arrest of all the accused, action against erring police officials, adequate compensation to the family and investigation by agencies independent of the Haryana government.