By Express News Service
MUMBAI: Dalit leader advocate Prakash Ambedkar has demanded inquiry into the suspicious death of Pooja Sakat, an eyewitness in Bhima-Koregaon case, while alleging that she was murdered.
Pooja had witnessed her house being burnt down by miscreants. She was an important eyewitness in the case as she had witnessed the violence herself, Ambedkar said and demanded that an inquiry needs to be launched immediately.
The dead body of the19-year-oldd class XI student was found floating in a well near rehabilitation site for the violence victims near Bhima-Koregaon at around 11 am on Sunday. She had been struggling to get a new home for her family for past three months and had moved several applications with authorities. The family had also lodged an FIR with the Shikrapur police in February that some local villagers were issuing threats and harassing them as Pooja was witness to the violence.
Ambedkar said that the police initially was reluctant to get the FIR registered but, gave into pressure only after the intervention of Dalit activists. “This is very unfortunate that the police didn’t even initiate inquiry into her complaint,” he added.
Ambedkar, who was in Nagpur on Monday, also said that at least seven more FIRs have been lodged and that the police haven’t initiated an inquiry into those cases as of yet.
Ambedkar also said that there is no merit in allegations that the girl, who was living with her parents, might have committed suicide out of a property dispute.
Pooja’s family members have named local villagers as suspects responsible for her death. She had gone out to the village in the afternoon on Saturday and didn’t return till late in the evening. A missing complaint too was registered with the police.
