Srijana, a 12-year-old former Kamlari, was found with severe burns in the house of Yubaraj Poudel at Chakupat of Lalitpur district on March 27, 2013. She died while undergoing treatment. [break]
Draupadi Chaudhary, 43, Srijana’s mother, claimed that despite the presence of evidences and circumstances suggesting that it was a murder, the accused have been able to influence the investigation. She said, “The circumstances and evidences surrounding the incident clearly show that it was a murder. But the police never showed the seriousness to investigate the case.”
But SSP Rajendra Man Shrestha, chief of Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur said, “We have been investigating the case since the incident occurred but the evidences and facts gathered from the site doesn’t support the claims of murder.” We studied medical reports, interviewed eyewitnesses, the accused and the landlord of the house and our findings does not support the claims of murder, SSP Shrestha said.
Srijana was found burnt in the kitchen by neighbors who had gone to rescue her after hearing her scream with her body engulfed in fire.
But Kamlaris argued that the girl was found locked from outside and that there was no sign of struggle or movement in the kitchen. How can a person in a room could remain locked from outside, she questioned.
“My husband was forced to accept the dead body and was not allowed to take the body to our village to perform the last rites as per to our culture,” said Srijana’s mother.
A police involved in the investigation said that the available evidences indicate that Srijana had committed suicide.
He also added that she had failed exams twice and seems to have taken the extreme move out of frustration. “We understand the sensitivity of the case but we can’t accuse someone without reliable evidence,” said SSP Shrestha.
But Kamlaris said that if that was not a murder, police should give reliable evidences to prove that it was suicide.
The agitating former Kamlaris, who are staying in Dharmashala at Gaushala, asked whether the other six former Kamlaris, who died under mysterious circumstances, too, committed suicide.
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