Why did the death of a Haryana teacher create massive outrage in two districts?

A 19-year-old playschool teacher’s death has sent tensions rippling through Bhawani and Charkhi Dadri districts in Haryana.

Amid widespread protests, the Haryana government ordered the suspension of mobile internet, bulk SMS, and dongle services on Tuesday for 48 hours. Voice calls are still available.

"It has been brought to my notice by ADGP/CID, Haryana and Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani & Charkhi Dadri vide their requests dated August 19 that there is an apprehension of causing tension, annoyance, agitation, damage to public & private property and disturbance of public peace & tranquillity in the district Bhiwani & Charkhi Dadri... This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order," the order, issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Sumit Misra, said.

 

What was the Haryana Preschool teacher's case about?

Manisha’s body was discovered in a field near a canal in Singhani village of Bhiwani on August 13, two days after she left work from the playschool. She was found with her throat slit.

The girl had been missing since August 11 after she left the school to purportedly inquire about admission at a nursing school.

Unverified images appeared on social media that people claimed were the victim's body lying in a field. After her body was found, police ruled out foul play based on the initial autopsy report. The Bhiwani district administration representatives also spoke with a committee formed by the villagers to hold discussions on behalf of the victim's family. The family then agreed to cremate the girl’s body.

Later, a suicide note, along with an Aadhaar and other documents, was found in the teacher's bag, changing the case. The family said that they discovered the suicide note on social media. Police, however, say that the family knew about the note from the beginning.

They also said that the victim had written about her parents being upset with her. Manisha’s father said that the committee pressured him to conduct her last rites.

The family had also accused the police of delaying the registration of a complaint in the matter. “We are not happy with the autopsy report and police findings. I urge people to join the fight for justice for my daughter,” he said in a report by the Hindustan Times.

The girl’s grandfather revealed to the media that she wanted to do a three-year nursing course. He had assured her that if her father did not give money, he would bear the expenses himself. He said, “How can such a courageous and dream-filled girl commit suicide?”

Villagers had gathered in the Dhani Laxman village at Bhawani and announced that they would fight to ensure justice for the woman. Massive outrage followed, and people blocked key roads in the district.

Bhiwani Superintendent of Police Sumit Kumar said that the handwriting in the suicide note matches the woman’s. In it, she had written, “Mummy, Papa, you did a lot for me, but you were upset with me. I was not wrong. Also, I did nothing wrong. I want to fulfil my parents’ dream. I wanted to be a nursing officer. I don’t want to be a financial burden. I am sorry if I have hurt you.”

The SP had also said that they discovered that she had bought insecticide through video surveillance. “The next part of the investigation was whether the insecticide was consumed or not. We sent the viscera report to the forensic sciences laboratory along with other samples. There were numerous samples given by the coroner to us,” he said. “In the viscera sample, the presence of insecticide has been confirmed in the body,” he added.

“So, there is self-purchase, there is a suicide note, there is poison in the body,” he said.

There were two autopsies done on the victim.

One of them, conducted the at Rohtak's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), confirmed that the woman was not sexually assaulted and had no cuts on the throat.

The report had also discovered that the wound on the neck was a laceration due to gnawing.”Gnawing is when any scavenger eats the body. The doctor has very clearly mentioned that these are the scavenging animal bites, and he has used the word gnawing effect. A portion of the neck was missing. Eyes were not there, face skin was not there. However, no vital organ below the neck is missing,” the SP said.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Signh saini had ordered the transfer of the previous SP and also the suspension of five officials who worked on the case.

A murder case has been registered by the police on the complaint of the girl’s family.

Former Chief Minister Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that the case should be handed over to the CBI as per the family’s wishes. The Opposition party has also demanded a probe.

India