A forensic team visited East Champaran district in Bihar on Monday, 9 February, to collect samples from the room where a 12-year-old girl was raped and killed. The team reached the site where the incident took place 19 days later.
The minor was later cremated by the accused in a field to destroy evidence, reported The Times of India.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
The deceased, who hailed from Nepal, was allegedly raped and murdered by four persons on 21 January. She was later set on fire, in a field.
The family of the victim alleged that the Kundwa Chainpur police station in Motihari refused to file an FIR.
The victim’s father sells tea during the day and works as night watchman at the local market, reported The Indian Express.
The minor was alone at home when the incident took place, with her mother and brother at work.
WHY DELAY IN FILING FIR?
The matter came to light after more than two weeks when an FIR was filed against 11 people on 2 February.
The FIR, along with four prime accused, named seven others for aiding the alleged perpetrators to cremate the victim. While two were arrested, the other two are on the run.
The Bihar Police have set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter.
Earlier on 6 February, the local police station in charge was suspended for purportedly delaying lodging an FIR and for not conducting a post-mortem despite knowledge of the crime.
"We suspended the police station in charge on Saturday for dereliction of duty, and for not conducting post-mortem and delaying filing of FIR despite knowledge of the incident. We have taken serious note of the incident and are conducting raids to arrest the accused,” East Champaran SP Navin Chandra Jha told the media.
(With inputs from The Times of India, The Indian Express.)
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