BODY OF DALIT GIRL, 17, FOUND IN ALIGARH FIELD

AGRA: The body of a 17-year-old Dalit girl was found near a field at a village in Aligarh, police said on Monday, adding that the post mortem report suggested she was strangulated and smothered to death.

“Strangulation and smothering have been assigned as reasons for death of the girl. The body was dragged from a nearby field to the spot where it was found by villagers,” said SSP Ali

garh Muniraj G.

When asked about possibility of rape, the SSP said no injury marks were found on the internal parts of the body.

“Yet, we cannot be conclusive about rape as doctors have not confirmed it in post mortem report…,” said the SSP, who did not rule out attempt to rape as a possibility. He added that some people have been rounded for interrogation and five teams constituted to work out the case.

Earlier, tension prevailed in the area when the police took the body for the post mortem. Heavy force was deployed at the post mortem house.

Also, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and women police force were deployed during a protest march taken out by locals in Aligarh city against the killing.

The girl had reportedly gone to gather fodder at about 12pm on Sunday but did not return. Her family began searching for her and was soon joined by other villagers. Later, the body was found in a field, police said.

The incident comes in the backdrop of Unnao case, wherein two minor girls were found dead in a field last month when they had gone to collect fodder.

Sources said villagers blocked police vehicles and resorted to stone-pelting when police tried to take the body for autopsy, injuring Pramendra Singh, the in-charge of Gangiri Kotwali of Aligarh district, in the head.

Police have registered a case under sections 302, 376 of Indian Penal Code, and sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the family’s complaint, the Aligarh SSP’S office said.