Hazaribag: The body of a 12-year-old girl was found under suspicious circumstances in Hazaribag district on Wednesday. Her face was crushed with a stone, and a small piece of wood was found inserted in her private parts, police said. They suspected that it could be a case of rape and murder, but said that it could be confirmed after the post-mortem report comes. The girl was student of Class 6.According to preliminary information, the girl had gone to watch a Ram Navami mangla procession in her village on Tuesday evening but did not return home. She was even spotted dancing in the procession but later went missing.Her family searched for her throughout the night but she remained untraceable. Her body was discovered early Wednesday near an open field by the locals. The family later identified the body and alleged that she was raped and murdered demanding immediate arrest and strict punishment for those responsible.Local police station officer-in-charge reached the spot with his team and initiated an investigation. The body has been sent to the local hospital for autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death. A forensic team along with a sniffer dog squad too was pressed into action.“Blood samples, fingerprints and a slipper were recovered from the crime scene and preserved as evidence. The body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause of death,” said an official.The investigating police officer said, “Post-mortem will reveal whether the girl was sexually exploited or not. We have begun probe.”Local villagers staged a protest following the incident and even stopped the vehicle of sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Baijnath Prasad, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits. Prasad assured the villagers that the case is being investigated seriously and that the accused would be arrested soon.“The investigation is progressing on priority. The accused will be identified soon and strict action will be taken under relevant sections,” Prasad said.
