In yet another heinous incident, a 16-year-old girl’s body was found hanging from a tree in Lalimati forest in Jharkhand’s Palamu district. The girl’s right eye was gougedout before she was killed and hanged on the tree.
The minor girl was a resident of Budhabar village under Panki police station limits. The victim was a class 10th student and the eldest of a local BJP leader’s five children.
Her body was cremated at the local crematorium on Wednesday.
In the initial investigation, police have found a mobile phone from the crime scene which has led o the arrest of Pradeep Kumar Singh Dhanuk. Dhanuk (23), the primary suspect, is a marriedman and could have accomplices.
The family of the victim has alleged her sexual assault. However, the post-mortem report will establish whether this a case of rape followed by murder. Her body was sent to the Medini RaiMedical College in Medininagar for a post-mortem.
“The police is investigating the matter from all possible angles,” said Palamu Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar. “The victim's family was strongly opposed toit. There is information about a heated exchange of words and scuffle between the family and the victim a few days back, after which the victim went missing,” he added.
The girl had gone missing after leaving home at 10 am on June 7 following which the family filed a missing person’s complaint on Tuesday.
The girl's body was found hanging from the tree using a cloth on Wednesday. Her right eye was gouged out and she was beaten mercilessly before the culprit killed her.