8-yr-old girl’s mutilated body found in Bihar, 12 detained

PATNA: A day after the mutilated body of an eight-year-old girl was recovered on the bank of the Ganga in Bihar’s Munger district, police on Friday detained 12 people for questioning after forming a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case, officials said.

Munger Sadar sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Nandji Prasad, who is heading the SIT, said that one eye of the girl had been gouged out. Police said they are yet to get confirmation if the minor was raped.

Munger superintendent of police (SP) Jagunath Jala Reddy said the victim’s body has been sent for postmortem examination to ascertain if she was raped, adding that the report was awaited. The SP said that he has requested the doctors to submit the report at the earliest. “Some people have been taken into custody... We cannot reveal their identity now,” he added. The girl’s uncle said, “She had marks on her private parts. The criminals also gouged her right eye and damaged her left eye. Her nails had blood clotting marks.”

According to the police, the girl went missing after she along with her father had gone for fishing on

Wednesday afternoon. Her father lodged a missing person’s report the same night. According to the complaint, the girl and her father had gone for fishing in the Ganga. However, the girl left to return home alone around 4pm, but never reached. Her body was found around 5am on Thursday at a secluded spot, barely 300 metres from her house, police said.

The SP said a case was lodged in this connection under Sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping) of the IPC, adding that sections under POCSO Act will also be invoked on the basis of the father’s complaint.

“Munger incident reflected how crime against women especially minor girls was on the rise in Bihar. In recent years, there has been a trend of rape victims getting killed as the culprits do not want to leave any evidence,” said Nivedita Jha, a women’s rights activist.