Moga girl cremated as kin accept govt offer

Tribune News Service

Moga, May 3

The teenage girl who died after being pushed off an Orbit bus in Moga was cremated on Sunday after her family accepted government's compensation and gave its go ahead for autopsy.

(See video: Moga teenager, thrown off bus by molesters, cremated)

The four-day deadlock between the girl's family and the government ended on a day when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal met the aggrieved family members in Moga and promised them justice.

The body was consigned to flames at Lande Ke village amid tight security after the last rites were performed by girl's father Sukhdev Singh. The cremation was attended by hundreds of villagers, members of the joint action committee and political leaders. CM Badal did not attend the cremation. After the pyre was lit, some relatives of the girl raised slogans against Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and the police.

The mother of the girl, who is undergoing treatment at the Moga civil hospital, also attended the cremation under the supervision of medical experts.

Sukhdev gave a written consent to the district administration to go ahead with the autopsy after hectic negotiations between the family and government officials under heavy police security.

Media adviser to CM Harcharan Bains said Rs 24 lakh compensation will be given to the family by Orbit Aviation Company. The money will be deposited with Red Cross Moga from where the money will delivered to affected family.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Parminder Singh Gill said the social welfare department will give additional Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1.20 lakh ex gratia. The DC also announced Rs 4 lakh for education expenses of girl's brother Akashdeep Singh, an eyewitness to the gruesome incident. The mother of the girl has also been promised a job.

The girl's father said he had agreed to the postmortem "without any pressure". He had earlier accused the police and the government for mounting pressure on him for a compromise. The body of the girl was later shifted to the Faridkot Medical College and Hospital in an ambulance under tight security cover for the postmortem.

Expressing deep sorrow over the girl's death, CM Badal termed the incident as "intolerable".

"I have come here as the father of Arshdeep Kaur. As the Chief Minister of the state and a father figure, I am  personally responsible for safeguarding the honour of every daughter of Punjab. If someone tries to outrage their honour, he will be given exemplary punishment under the strictest provisions of the law," Badal said after meeting the girl's family. 

"Only the rule of law would prevail in the case and I will personally ensure that this happens," said the Chief Minister. The state government has been facing the ire from several quarters including the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress over the incident. 

Girl's grandmother Surjit Kaur said the government must ensure that women passengers get adequate security so that such incidents do not occur in future.