Haryana teacher cremated; mobile internet suspension curbs lifted in Bhiwani

Chandigarh, Aug 21 (PTI) The last rites of a 19-year-old teacher whose body was found in a field in Haryana's Bhiwani more than a week ago and whose death will be probed by the CBI, were held in the district on Thursday.

Manisha had gone missing on August 11 after leaving her school, purportedly to enquire about admission at a nursing college. Her body was found in a field in Bhiwani on August 13.

On Thursday morning, her last rites were conducted with a large number of people in her native village Dhani Laxman in Bhiwani attending the cremation.

Manisha's father Sanjay was inconsolable as the funeral pyre was lit by the deceased's younger brother.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had said that based on the demand of the woman teacher's family, the government would hand over the probe into her death to the CBI.

After a third autopsy was conducted at AIIMS, Delhi on Wednesday afternoon, her body reached Bhiwani late evening. Earlier, the post-mortem examinations had been conducted at the Bhiwani Civil Hospital and the PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak.

The Haryana government had ordered the suspension of mobile internet, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks except voice calls in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri districts for 48 hours from 11 am on Tuesday amid public outrage over the death of the teacher.

On Thursday, the government extended the suspension of mobile internet only in the Bhiwani district for 24 hrs beginning 11 am only in Bhiwani district, a restriction which was, however, withdrawn by the evening.

According to a fresh order issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Sumita Misra Thursday evening, "Whereas, vide this office extension order dated August 21 the mobile internet services... were suspended till 1100 hrs of August 22, in the jurisdiction of district Bhiwani.

"Now, as per the recommendation of Deputy Commissioner, these orders are hereby withdrawn with immediate effect in district Bhiwani. All barred services be restored accordingly." The teacher's death caused massive outrage, with people blocking roads in the district, and the opposition parties, including the Congress, demanding a CBI probe.

The residents, who had been sitting on a protest at the Dhani Laxman village in Bhiwani, had formed a committee to spearhead their dharna. They had urged the government for a probe by the CBI and an autopsy of the deceased at AIIMS, Delhi.

On Tuesday, the residents said their protest would continue indefinitely till their demands were met. After the demand was accepted, the dharna was lifted.

On Monday, police had claimed that the investigations pointed to the teenager dying by suicide by ingesting poison.

While protests over the teacher's death raged on and politicians waded into the matter alleging breakdown of law and order, the emergence of a "suicide note" in the death case on Monday turned the investigation on its head.

However, her father had on Tuesday rejected the finding and refused to cremate the body, demanding "justice". "The administration is saying that my daughter committed suicide, but I can say that she can never commit suicide. I want justice," he said.

The opposition parties had flayed the BJP-led state government, claiming that the alleged murder was proof of a "breakdown of law and order" under the saffron party.

Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the role of the state government and the police had been "negligent and irresponsible", and an "unfortunate attempt is being made to prove the whole case as a suicide". PTI SUN KSS KSS