Gumla: A 13-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and assaulted, died during treatment at a govt hospital in Ranchi early Saturday after she was found unconscious in Gumla district, police said.The girl, a Class VII student, was admitted in a critical condition after being referred from Gumla. She was first taken to a community health centre in neighbouring Simdega district and later shifted to a larger hospital and then to Gumla before being referred to Ranchi.According to a complaint lodged by her family, the girl went missing on Thursday evening. Late that night, unidentified persons allegedly left her unconscious on the verandah of her house. Her family suspected that she had been sexually assaulted and physically attacked.Gumla SP Harish Bin Zaman said they learnt about the incident only after their Simdega counterparts informed them. A police team later accompanied the girl to the Ranchi hospital.“The girl died during treatment on Saturday morning. We have requested hospital authorities to conduct the post-mortem examination through a three-member medical board,” the SP said.Another police officer said the girl might have been raped and assaulted.Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons and are investigating all possible angles. “At this stage, we are not ruling out sexual assault. The exact cause and nature of the injuries will be clear after the post-mortem examination,” Zaman said.Investigators questioned some of the girl’s classmates on Saturday as part of the probe. Inspector Gulson Bhengra is leading the investigation. Officials said efforts were under way to identify and arrest those responsible.
