Ground Report: Jaitpura police station’s claims and unresolved questions in the case of death of Dalit girl in Banaras?

Banaras. Dhelwariya is a locality in Banaras city of Uttar Pradesh. A very backward area of ??the city, where poor people live in winding lanes. Renu, a 35-year-old girl from this locality, went to cook food at the house of saree businessman Aditya Malhotra in a flat in VDA Apartment in Sanjay Nagar on July 15, 2024 at around 3.30 pm. Shortly after, Renu’s family was informed that she died due to falling from the roof. Renu was a woman from the Dalit community. People were shocked by the news of her death and there was chaos in the family.

The surprising thing is that in the case of the death of the Dalit girl, the Jaitpura police station immediately became a judge and hurriedly gave a statement to the media that Renu went to the fourth floor with the intention of stealing and died after falling. Police say that at the time of the incident, the family members had gone to Bareilly. No one was at home at the time of the incident. On the other hand, the woman’s family says that at the time of the incident, the daughter and son-in-law of sari businessman Aditya Malhotra were present in the house. They had called Renu to cook food. The family also alleges that the girl was raped and when she tried to resist, she was strangled to death. There were scratch marks on Renu’s arms and her throat was slit.

Jaitpura police became the judge

Renu, wife of Sachche Lal Gond, resident of Dhelvariya, was doing the work of cleaning and cooking food at the house of sari businessman Aditya Malhotra for the last six years. At around 3:30 in the afternoon, Renu reached the house of Aditya Malhotra, who lives on the fourth floor. At around 4:15 in the evening, the body of Renu, the maid of sari businessman Aditya Mehrotra, was found lying behind the building. When the people living in the flat saw her dead, they informed the police. The police reached the spot, took the body in their custody and sent it for post-mortem. Renu’s family alleges that Jaitpura police station in-charge Brijesh Mishra instantly became a judge and gave a statement to the media, “Maid Renu died after falling from the fourth floor when she was trying to escape after stealing things. She was climbing the back door of the flat with the intention of stealing. During this, she fell and died. The woman’s purse, slippers and a bundle of sarees were found on the roof of the flat, which have been seized. The cause of Renu’s death could not be ascertained. The police is investigating the matter.” Jaitpura police station may have turned the investigation in the wrong direction in this incident, but Renu’s death has given rise to many serious questions. The first question is that when the girl fell from the fourth floor, why did her head not break? Why did not a single drop of blood from her body fall on the ground? At the place where Renu’s body was found, there were many pots kept there and how did they remain in their place and intact. Why was none of the pots found broken? Many people living in the flat had made a rope to spread clothes. If Renu fell from the fourth floor, why did the rope of any of the ropes not break?

Who will answer these questions?

It is being told in the police story that Renu’s purse, a bundle of sarees and slippers have been recovered from the roof of the four-storey flat. The surprising thing is that if Renu was climbing the flat from the back door, then how did her purse, slippers and bundle of sarees reach the roof? Why did the police not take out the call details of Renu’s mobile and the route chart of Google Map and why did they give a hasty statement to the media in this matter? This incident may be small in the eyes of the Jaitpura police station, but the Dalit woman Renu has left behind many questions for which the police has no answer.

Renu Gond of Dhelwaria was a girl from the Dalit community. There is a situation of tension in the entire area due to her death. The girl’s body has been cremated. The postmortem report has arrived, which reveals that only her ribs were broken. Renu’s husband Sachche Lal Gond (40 years) said, “Our wife was working as a sweeper and maid in the house of sari businessman Aditya Malhotra for the past many years, besides cooking. Aditya has a business of Banarasi sarees. He is originally from Bareilly.

If Aditya Malhotra’s entire family had gone out, then who called my wife to cook? If the house was closed, then how did Renu’s purse, slippers etc. reach the fourth floor? While dead, Renu had injuries on her neck and scratches on her arms, but there were no injury marks on any other part of her body. Who will believe the police?

Does any part of the body not get torn apart after the collapse of a four-storey building? Jaitpura police station in-charge Brijesh Mishra is being arbitrary and covering up the matter. We do not trust him.”

Renu’s family calling the story of Jaitpura police a lie

Even after the death of Dalit girl Renu, the family members have not dried their tears yet. The people of the locality, especially the Dalit community, are in shock. Renu has two daughters Dimple (18 years) and Kumkum (15 years). Dimple studies in Government Girls Inter College Maldahiya. She had taken five thousand rupees in her purse from home for her books. Renu’s sister-in-law Sheela told Janchowk, “Renu was called to cook food at three o’clock and at quarter past four we got the news of her death. The police fabricated the story to save the saree trader. How did the police of Jaitpura police station know that she had gone with the intention of theft. Renu had been cooking food at Aditya Malhotra’s house for six years. Till date, no complaint has been received. Immediately after Renu’s death, the police became judges and accused them of theft. Renu lost her life and her faith.”

Accusing the Jaitpura police of ignoring the case, Sachchhalal Gond’s sister-in-law Rekha said, “Renu was first raped and when she resisted, she was strangulated to death. Her neck was strangulated with a dupatta. After her death, the body was brought down and laid on the ground. The police tried to convert murder into death by giving false statements to the media. I immediately reached the spot after the incident. At that time, there were no marks of injury on her body. Scratches were seen on her shoulder and arm. How did not even a single bangle of hers break after falling from the fourth floor? Renu had five thousand rupees and a bank passbook in her purse, which we have not found yet. We don’t know what is in the postmortem report, but the biggest question is that when Renu was trying to enter the flat with the help of a pipe, how did her purse and slippers end up on the roof? “

Renu’s daughters are in grief

Renu’s husband Sachche Lal is the youngest of his six brothers. They have a small house in Dhelwaria. All the brothers’ families live separately. Sachche Lal works as a labourer and to educate the children, his wife Renu used to do household chores at two-three places. She also used to cook food at Aditya Mehrotra’s house. After Renu’s death, her two daughters are in a bad condition. Their eyes have become stone-like from crying. They are not even able to eat properly. Renu’s daughter Kumkum told Janchowk, “Our mother used to arrange for the fees and clothes of both of us sisters. Now we will have to leave our studies too.” Renu’s husband Sachchlal Gond

According to the police, Aditya Mehrotra had hired Renu for cleaning in the VDA apartment near Sanjaynagar Colony Cotton Mill. Saree trader Aditya Malhotra decided to prepare for his grandson’s mundan in his native village in Bareilly. He went to Bareilly on 13 July 2024. Renu came to the colony on 15 July and then after some time her body was found behind the building. The postmortem report stated the cause of death as an injury on the back of the head. The woman’s husband alleges that the police have fabricated a false story to save the saree trader.

Sari trader Aditya Malhotra had gone to his native village Bareilly to get his grandson’s mundan done and his flat was locked, the key of which was with Renu. Various discussions are going on in Sanjay Nagar Apartment regarding the incident. Jaitpura police station is investigating the case of Renu’s death. Some inspectors and constables of Jaitpura police station reached Sachche Lal Gond’s house on 24 July 2024 and investigated. While returning, the policemen accused the woman’s family that why does the woman’s family have a permanent house? Usually women who do cleaning and mopping live in slums.

Allegation of arbitrariness on police

Renu’s family members accuse the police of getting their complaint written as per their wish. Renu’s husband Sachche Lal says, “We wanted to file a report against Aditya Mehrotra’s daughter and son-in-law, but the police used force on me. We were not listened to. Even before our family members could reach, the police took Renu’s body to the mortuary. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to us.”

After the post-mortem, on 16 July 2024 at four in the evening, Renu’s body was placed on the road and the relatives blocked the road demanding to register a case of murder. This led to a queue of vehicles. When the police tried to convince them, they clashed. The victim’s family, angry with the incident, demanded the arrest of the culprits. The people who blocked the road were demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh and a government job for the victim’s family. After a lot of struggle, the body was cremated at Manikarnika Ghat under tight security.

The forensic expert on Renu’s death says that Renu’s left rib is broken after falling from a height. It is possible that while falling from the building, the left side of Renu’s body must have fallen on the grund before her head, due to which the rib must have broken. The head must have suffered an internal injury after hitting it. The police’s silence on the reasons for the flower pots present at the spot being intact, the daara and bangles present at the spot not breaking, shows that they are preparing to hush up this matter.

The family of the victim Sachche Lal and his relatives are questioning the role of the Jaitpura police station. They allege that the police have been trying to cover up the case from the very beginning and have been lax. The people of Dhelvariya locality are shocked by this incident. A woman living in Sachche Lal’s neighbourhood said, “This incident has brought a stigma on our locality. The whole area is talking about the police fabricating a false story.”

The Jaitpura police station said that items and jewellery wrapped in cloth were scattered on the ground. The maid had stolen the goods, but in a hurry to escape, she slipped and fell. The deceased was identified as Renu Devi, a resident of Dhelvariya. Renu’s husband Sachche Lal Gond, denying the allegations of the police, suspected murder and blocked the road with the body. Later, the police got the body cremated after convincing him. A thorough investigation is being conducted in this case. So far, no result of the investigation has come out. If anyone is found guilty, a case of murder will definitely be registered.

Renu’s family upset with media

The people of Dhelwariya locality are extremely angry with the statement that the police has given to the main stream media in the case of Renu’s death. When the Janchowk team reached the spot, apart from the family members, Renu’s neighbours expressed their displeasure and said that the newspapers are publishing false news. You people should also leave from here, because your voice will also sing the same tune as the police. No one ever had any complaint against Renu. Neither her life nor her honour. Jaitpura police station defamed the entire locality by calling Renu a thief. If you want to publish false news, then go away from our locality.

To investigate the truth of the death of maid Renu Gond in Sanjay Nagar Colony, a delegation of Samajwadi Party reached the house of the deceased and met the family members including her husband. The woman’s husband Sachchhelal Gond appealed to the SP leaders for help and said, “My wife’s death was unusual. We are sure that she was raped and then murdered. The accused of murder have high connections and have given a new twist to the case by colluding with the police. The police is saying that the case was of a fall during a theft, which is not true. There should be a CBI inquiry into Renu’s death? Why is the police not telling how my wife reached behind the building? Who called her there? Who killed her? “The SP delegation assured justice to the victim’s family and said that this matter will be raised in the assembly. A complaint will be made to the DGP against the officers of Jaitpura police station. The SP delegation included Vyas ji Gond, Reebu Srivastava, Sujit Yadav, Dilip Day, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shani Kumar Sonkar etc. The SP leaders alleged that the police is trying to cover up the Renu murder case. If the girl was not from a poor and Dalit family, the police’s method of investigation would have been different. Then perhaps the policy and intention of the police and administrative officers would also have been different. The Jaitpura police station is not in the mood to give justice to Renu, because she is not the daughter of a rich man. (Vijay Vineet is a senior journalist from Banaras)

Courtesy : Hindi News