Dadri Erupts in Protest Over Manisha Murder: Police Inaction and Victim Blaming Under Scrutiny
19-year-old Manisha, a teacher at a play school, left home on August 11 for admission at a nursing college but never returned. On August 13, her throat-slit body was discovered by a farmer in the fields near a canal in Bhiwani district; the family later identified her.
Residents of Badhra, Loharu, and Bhandwa shut local markets, blocked roads, organized candle marches, and staged sit-ins, demanding justice and the death penalty for the culprits. Manisha’s family has been sitting on a dharna for three days, refusing to collect her body until the accused are arrested. They have also requested a fresh post-mortem by a separate medical board, expressing dissatisfaction with the initial report.
The family has alleged gross negligence by the police: when Manisha was reported missing, officials dismissed their concerns, claiming, “The girl has eloped, she will return in two days.” The family contends that prompt police intervention could have saved her life. Following mounting pressure and outrage, the Haryana government transferred SP Manbir Singh and suspended five other local officers pending a departmental inquiry.
