desk
Share
News Topical, Digital Desk : The death of a teenage girl in Katariya village is no longer just a local incident, but has become a significant issue in state and national politics. While Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are posting on Twitter about the incident, calling it a law and order issue, Akhilesh Yadav continues to attack the issue.
However, locals believe that village politics are at the root of this incident, where a long-standing political rivalry between village head representative Ashutosh Singh "Ashu" and his rival Anil Yadav has further fueled the situation. Villagers are calling it a case of local politics, but the controversy surrounding the teenage girl's murder and suicide remains unresolved.
Anil Yadav, a resident of the Yadav-dominated village of Malhapura, lost the last Panchayat elections to Ashu's mother, Reena Devi, by less than 100 votes. This incident is now being cited as an opportunity amid preparations for the upcoming elections. The fact that the victim's family and the village head's home are in the same village has made the matter even more sensitive. However, the district remains in the news nationally due to the lack of resolution to the case and the active involvement of politicians.
Sulga village on April 22
On April 22, a Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation arrived in the village, where Anil Yadav was seen actively participating in the delegation, while Pradhan's representative, Ashu, led the protesting villagers. The dispute escalated to the point where several people were injured in the violence. During the chaos, police detained Anil Yadav, but he got out of the vehicle and began running. Meanwhile, Suraj Singh, from the Pradhan's side, attempted to apprehend him and was severely beaten. The incident escalated.
Political arrows heated up the issue
Following statements by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the police called it inappropriate to level rape allegations without confirmation. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav has questioned the government for not taking action against the village head. Following the teenager's death, political activity has increased in the district. In this case, Varanasi Zone ADG Piyush Mordia and DIG Vaibhav Krishna met with the victim's family in Katariya village on Friday midnight to gather information about the incident.
The administration became active
On Saturday afternoon, April 25th, Divisional Commissioner Varanasi S. Rajlingam and District Magistrate Anupam Shukla also arrived. All officials held a meeting. In the evening, the ADG spoke with journalists and assured further information. It's worth noting that Katariya village has become a high-profile area after the teenage girl's body was found in the Ganges. Following the stone-pelting incident between the SP delegation and villagers, village politics has reached the state level.
Police have taken action
The police have filed a case against the SP delegation, including 46 named MLAs, and 200 unidentified individuals. Following the case against the MLAs, a protocol for Akhilesh Yadav's visit to Katariya on April 29th was issued on Friday. The news of the former Chief Minister's visit is being trolled on the internet media with various statements. DIG Vaibhav Krishna has appealed to the public to maintain peace and harmony. He says that action will be taken against all those involved in the incident.
Father satisfied, but accusations continue
Speaking to the media, the girl's father said that the police are continuously taking action in the case and he is completely satisfied with the police action. The deceased's father said that political parties and leaders should not make political gains out of his daughter's death. Meanwhile, in Ghazipur, BJP Rajya Sabha member Dr. Sangeeta Balwant has sent a letter to the Chief Minister and SP requesting that SP President Akhilesh Yadav not be allowed to visit Katariya. The letter states that riots and stone pelting have occurred in the past, so he should not be allowed to come.
Congress team also active
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi shared their views on the Ghazipur incident in a post on their X handles on Saturday. The discovery of the body of a minor girl from the Vishwakarma community in the Ganges has sparked political turmoil, with allegations of rape and murder being leveled. The administration has taken strict action ahead of SP national president Akhilesh Yadav's announcement to visit Katariya village on April 29th to meet the victim's family.
Section 163 implemented in the district
Section 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code has been imposed throughout the district. Entry of outsiders into Katariya village, as well as protests, processions, and candlelight vigils, has been banned until April 30. On Sunday, police arrested six more accused in the stone-pelting incident between members of the Samajwadi Party delegation and villagers on April 22. A total of 16 accused have been arrested so far.
This is the whole matter
The girl had disappeared from her home on April 14. Her body was found in the Ganges on April 15. The post-mortem report confirmed death by drowning. There were no marks on the rest of the body. In a CCTV footage, she is seen walking alone towards the bridge. At the same time, the police had registered a case against three YouTubers for spreading rumours on the internet media about murder after rape. On April 20, SP state president Shyamlal Pal issued a letter and sent a 15-member delegation to the village on April 22, but more than two hundred people reached there.
When the villagers got angry, there was a ruckus.
The villagers were enraged by the SP state president's letter mentioning rape and murder, and they protested against the delegation's leaders. The dispute escalated to the point of stone-pelting from both sides. More than ten people were injured. Police have filed a case against 46 named and 200 unidentified individuals, including two SP MLAs and district president Gopal Yadav. Police arrested 10 people and sent them to jail.
The atmosphere in the village deteriorated on April 22.
On April 22, a Samajwadi Party delegation arrived in Katariya village to meet the girl's family. The situation deteriorated and stone-pelting broke out when approximately 250 workers, exceeding the prescribed number, arrived and accused the girl of rape. Several people, including Karanda police station chief Santosh Pathak and city police officer Mahendra Singh, were injured in the incident. Police have filed a case against 46 named and 200 unidentified individuals.
The police administration is continuously taking action
The police have registered a case and initiated action against the media cells of the Congress and Samajwadi Party for allegedly making misleading and factless comments on the internet media platform X regarding the incident that took place in Katariya of the Karand police station area.
Akhilesh Yadav will also come on April 29.
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav will arrive in Ghazipur's Katariya village on April 29th at 1 p.m. This visit comes in the wake of the dispute between the SP delegation and villagers following the discovery of a teenage girl's body in the Ganges River on April 15th. The SP sent a delegation to the village, alleging rape and murder.
Cases filed against several people
When the SP delegation arrived in the village on Wednesday, the villagers protested, rejecting the murder and rape allegations. Heavy stone-pelting between the two sides resulted in injuries to more than ten people. Police have filed a case under serious sections against 47 people, including Sadar MLA Jai Kishan Sahu, Jangipur MLA Virendra Yadav, District President Gopal Yadav, former minister Ram Asare Verma, and more than 150 unidentified individuals.
--Advertisement--
