India / ‘She was eager to join school after summer break’, says UP girl’s father

The three-year-old girl whose mutilated body was found on June 2 near her home, had just joined school and was eager to join back after summer break, her father Banwarilal Sharma said.

On May 30, the child went missing, but the police register a case of kidnapping on May 31. Her body was found in a garbage dump near her house in Tappal town, near Aligarh, two days later.

“She was so brilliant that she could identify all the letters on her own. She had a beautiful smile and being our only child, she was the world for me,” said Sharma, a daily wage labourer.

“Had the police taken the matter seriously on May 31 when we lodged a missing complaint, my daughter might have been rescued,” Sharma said.

Two men, Zahid and Aslam, have been arrested in connection with the case.

Sharma insists that Zahid’s kin should be arrested too, for colluding in the crime. He has also demanded that the dup receive the death penalty.

“The culprits should be hanged publicly for this heinous crime with a minor girl,” said Sharma, disconsolate.

“I still feel that my daughter is around and would appear again,” said Shilpa Sharma, the child’s mother.

Dashrath Sharma, the victim’s grand-uncle said that her death should not be used to drive a wedge between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

“It is a crime against humanity. But the incident does not have an impact on our time-tested co-existence between communities,” he said.