Patna/Bhojpur: A six-year-old girl from a Mahadalit community was abducted while she was sleeping inside her home. She was allegedly sexually assaulted and then brutally killed. Her body was recovered on Wednesday morning near a canal, about one kilometre from her residence. Police in Bhojpur district are yet to arrest the accused, more than 40 hours after a crime that has deeply shaken the local community. The incident took place on Tuesday night, and her body was discovered on Wednesday.
Officials said the child showed signs of severe violence. Blood was found on her mouth, nose, and private parts, and her upper teeth were broken. Investigators suspect she was assaulted and beaten to death after resisting. The incident occurred in a Mahadalit settlement under the Garhani police station area.
Based on a statement given by the child’s mother, an FIR has been registered against a young man from a neighbouring hamlet, who is accused of kidnapping, rape, and murder. Following the incident, tension and anger have spread among local residents.
To ensure a thorough examination, a medical board was constituted for the postmortem. A four-member team of doctors was formed under the supervision of the civil surgeon. A female doctor collected vaginal swab samples to examine evidence of sexual assault.
The victim’s aunt told reporters that the child’s father works outside the village. On Tuesday night, the child’s mother had stepped out for work, while the child was asleep under a blanket at home. Earlier in the evening, the aunt said she noticed the accused peeping into the child’s house and had objected to it.
“Later, when the child’s mother returned and went to her own house to take a phone call from the child’s father, the girl was found missing. The family searched throughout the neighbourhood and informed the police by calling 112. Despite extensive searches during the night, the child could not be found. On Wednesday morning, her body was recovered near a canal by the roadside,” the aunt said.
“The child had been missing since Tuesday night. A case has been registered based on the family’s complaint, and an investigation is underway. Sexual assault followed by murder is suspected. The family has named one suspect, and raids are being conducted to arrest him. The exact cause of death and confirmation of sexual assault will be clear after the medical opinion and the postmortem report,” said Kamaljeet, station house officer of Garhani police station.
Police said the postmortem has been conducted, and efforts to trace and arrest the accused are ongoing. The incident has once again raised serious questions about child safety and the effectiveness of policing in rural areas. Authorities say swift action will be taken, as pressure mounts on the police to arrest the accused and deliver justice.
