Patna: The protest is gaining momentum in Bihar and other places including Kolkata, New Delhi and Bengaluru against the brutal killing of a teenage girl in Gaya district of the state. Family members and neighbours told this newspaper that the victim left her house on December 28 but didn’t return.
The parents after frantically searching for the 16-year-old girl for two days approached the police on December 30 but their complaints were not registered till January 4.
The dismembered and mutilated dead body of the victim was recovered few metres away from her residence in Patwatoli locality on January 6 two days after police registered an FIR in connection with the case.
According to reports, the head which was found some distance away from the body was burned with acid, making it impossible for the police to identify the victim.
Sources said her parents recognised the body from the sweater which she was wearing.
Confirming the registration of the FIR and subsequent recovery of the dead body Gaya SSP Rajeev Mishra told reporters that three persons including the girl’s father, mother and a family friend were taken into custody on suspicion of honour killing.
“Investigation in the case is going on and we will be able to establish a motive behind the brutal murder of the teenage girl. The post mortem report is awaited but we will take the victims parents on remand and interrogate them”, Mr Mishra said.
Earlier the victims elder sister had also recorded her statement in the local court under section 164 of the CrPC, the police said.
Neighbours, however, believe that the local police have been trying to float the theory of honour killing in order to hush up the case.
“We strongly believe that the girl was murdered after being gang raped”, a local resident said.
Social activist Ravi Raj while raising serious doubts on the police investigation said, “Instead of investigating the case properly the police detained family members of the victim. Police have not been able to establish a motive behind the killing, there is no recovery of weapon so far and they are still in dark about the place of crime. The dead body was recovered only a few meters away from her house a couple of days after police registered a formal missing person complaint”.
Over the last few days, activists protested and took out candle march demanding justice for the victim.
