Dumka: The district legal services authority (DLSA) has stepped in to provide legal assistance and support to the family of a 14-year-old girl who was found murdered in Dumka on Friday.The action followed directions from principal district and sessions judge and DLSA chairperson Sudhanshu Kumar Shashi, who took cognisance of the incident through newspaper reports. DLSA secretary Vivek Kumar was directed to ensure immediate legal aid for the bereaved family.Acting on the order, DLSA constituted a team of paralegal volunteers, who met the family and informed them about their legal rights, provisions for free legal aid and available support mechanisms. The team also received applications seeking financial compensation and legal assistance, according to a press release issued on Sunday.The move comes amid public outrage over the killing. School students blocked the Dumka-Pakur road on Saturday evening, demanding justice for the girl.The girl’s body was found in a bush around 500 metres from her home on Friday evening. Police are investigating suspicions of sexual assault, though the allegations have not been officially confirmed.According to family members, the girl returned home from school on Friday, had her meal and went out to untie a cow tethered in a field. When she did not return, her family and villagers launched a search and found her body later that evening before informing police.DLSA said it would guide the family through the legal process and help ensure justice was not denied due to financial or other difficulties.
