3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Sep 24, 2021 07:16 PM IST
Police have relied on two public accounts in preparing their case against the four accused – the priest Radhey Shyam (55) and three others, Kuldeep Singh (63), Laxmi Narayan (48) and Salim Ahmed (49).
A priest at a crematorium and a factory worker have admitted to allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl because she was a Dalit, before forcibly cremating her once she died, it is alleged in the Delhi Police chargesheet. The chargesheet quotes witnesses who claim to have been told about the incident by the accused.
The testimony of a public witness, who recorded his statement before a Magistrate on August 27, is part of the chargesheet. Police have relied on two public accounts in preparing their case against the four accused – the priest Radhey Shyam (55) and three others, Kuldeep Singh (63), Laxmi Narayan (48) and Salim Ahmed (49).
The two witnesses claim to have spotted Shyam and Kuldeep carrying the body of the girl from one hall to another, but “did not suspect that anything was wrong” at the time.
However, the first witness said he got to know about the incident via a phone call later that evening from a local resident, who informed him that a Dalit girl had been raped and her body cremated. The witness told the court that he reached the crematorium, where a crowd had gathered and the body was being burnt on a pyre.
The witness has claimed the four accused asked for his help and said they had raped and murdered the girl, the statement read. As per the chargesheet, when the witness asked them why they did so, Shyam and Kuldeep answered that she was “a Dalit by caste, that’s why”.
The witness told the court that he, along with others, tried to douse the burning pyre with water but police lathi-charged them. The witness has named the local ACP, SHO and the IO of the case as the officers who were present at the spot.
The second public witness said he knew the victim for around five years and had also got a phone call in the evening informing him about the incident. On reaching the crematorium, he spotted Salim and asked him why they were cremating the girl against her parents’ wishes. The chargesheet states that the accused took him away from the crowd and said they had raped the girl and cremated her by mistake. They also sought his help, according to the statement given before the court.
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The accused have maintained that the girl had died of electrocution while fetching water from a cooler but her family alleged that the suspects hurriedly cremated the body after raping her.
The police chargesheet, on the basis of Shyam’s disclosure statement, stated that the girl was sexually assaulted in the past as well and that she died due to suffocation while Shyam and Kuldeep raped her. The accused then cremated the girl and got rid of crucial evidence like the bedsheet used during the crime, a mobile phone used by Shyam to watch pornographic content, and the girl’s belongings, it is alleged in the chargesheet.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
