Sickening Act – Murder of a 10 year old

Mumbai is a place that houses millions of dreams, hopes and aspirations. Hundreds of people from different cities, small towns, villages run to our city with the hope that she will help them see thru their struggle and will be responsible for their survival. Many succeed and many get lost somewhere in her dark nights, sinister streets and high-rise buildings. The crudeness of the city spares no one – it does not differentiate between a man and a woman or an adult and a child.

For these people life is a constant dance between Duty and Desire; duty towards family and desire towards one-self. Sonu’s life was no different, it was her duty towards her family that brought her to Mumbai from Bhopal and it was her innocent desire that lead her to her death.

On the night of 21st June, 10 year old Sonu Nirmal Kumar (a domestic help) was found hanging from a bed sheet tied to the ceiling fan at her employer’s house in a Mumbai suburb.

Sonu had been working for the Gajarias for the past few months. The Gajarias told the police that they had gone to Sion on the day of the incident and when they returned they found Sonu hanging from the ceiling. However once the post mortem report was received, it stated the most horrifying reality; sodomy and rape were the causes of death.

Soon after the Police arrested the Gajaria family which included Vinod (father), Madhu (mother), Rajendra (son) and their married daughter Roma Bhatia, who also happened to re-side in the same, building. Initially the Police suspected Rajendra and Vinod had raped and then murdered Sonu however further detailed investigation of their residence and the deceased girl’s body made the hazy picture a lot clearer.

Oshiwara police on Thursday said the 10-year-old domestic help was smothered to death by Roma Bhatia after she was caught using Bhatia’s mother’s lipstick while the family was away. Sonu had not been raped and that Bhatia had inflicted the injuries-she allegedly stripped Sonu and then assaulted her private parts with an aluminum rod covered with chilly powder and later smothered her; to make the young girl confess to her act. After committing this un-thinkable crime, she locked the door and returned to her flat.

Past midnight, when the Gajarias returned, Bhatia told Madhu about the incident, following which the Gajarias tried to pass the girl’s death off as a suicide and hanged her body.

Bhatia, who was arrested on Tuesday, has now been booked for criminal conspiracy and murder, her brother Rajendra Gajaria-the marine engineer was the main suspect initially-Vinod and mother Madhu have been booked for abetment and destruction of evidence.

Reading about this sickening act, really makes me wonder what sort of women is Roma Bhatia. I mean, she herself is a mother of three kids then how could she even think of assaulting and killing a 10 year old child. Is the value of a lipstick much more than a human life?

In my opinion, any sort of punishment would be less for a cold-blooded murderer like Roma Bhatia and her family. I gravely hope and pray that she rots in hell for eternity.