PALAMAU: A 16-year-old girl’s body was found hanging from a tree in Lalimati forest which falls in Palamau district of Jharkhand. As per reports, the girl’s right eye was gouged out before she was killed and hanged on the tree. The girl was the eldest of the local BJP leader, a resident of Budhabar village.
As per the preliminary investigation led to the recovery of a mobile phone from the crime scene. An analysis of the call data records (CDR) of the phone has led to the arrest of one Pradeep Kumar Singh Dhanuk (23), who is a married man. Police suspects the involvement of multiple people in the murder case.
According to the family, the girl had left home at 10 am on June 7 after which she went missing. A missing complaint was filed on Tuesday, informed Ashok Kumar station in-charge (SI) of Panki police station. While the police’s search for the girl was on, some locals found her body hanging from a tree in the forest near Budhabar village, Kumar added.
The distressing details revealed that the girl was beaten mercilessly before the culprits killed her and hung her body from a tree using a cloth, with her right eye gouged out.
The girl’s family also alleges that she was sexually assaulted before being murdered. However, it is yet to be confirmed. The body was sent to the Medini Rai Medical College in Medininagar on Wednesday for a post-mortem.
Informing that the police is investigating the matter from all angles, SP Kumar revealed the possibility of the victim being involved with the man as per preliminary evidence.
However, the girl’s family has taken strong objection to this. “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,” added SP Kumar.
Meanwhile, Palamu Superintendent of Police (SP) Sanjeev Kumar has informed that the post-mortem report will establish whether this is a case of rape followed by murder.
Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo has assured that the party would demand an independent probe if the girl’s family is not satisfied with the police investigation.