Shimoga: Girl’s mysterious murder raises suspicion of sexual assault, Thirthahalli tense

www.mangaloretoday.com

Shimoga, Nov 2, 2014: The murder of a 14-year-old girl from the town has raised suspicion that she may have been sexually assaulted but the post-mortem report is yet to come.

The victim was a class 8 student at the government high school here. Based on a complaint lodged by her father, police have registered a case of murder, sexual harassment and kidnap under the relevant sections of the IPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012.

The girl is suspected to have been abducted in a red car by three young men from the main entrance of her school around 9.30 am on October 29. They took her to a remote place on the outskirts of the town where they allegedly molested her. They later forced her to drink some poison after realising that some local women had noticed them. They later fled the spot. Local people helped the girl go home in the evening, where she vomited.

The girl was then taken to the JC hospital in the town and later to the McGann Hospital in Shimoga. But doctors there advised that she be taken to the KMC Hospital in Manipal where she died on Friday. The girl is said to have narrated the incident to parents before her death.

Sources claimed that one of the three youths who abducted the girl is her neighbour and works at a garage. Angry residents threw stones at his house and set ablaze a bike parked in the front. But those who committed the crime are said to belong to a different community.

But Superintendent of Police Kaushlendra Kumar said the girl had not mentioned rape in the complaint. “So, a case of rape has not been registered. Three special teams have been formed to apprehend the culprits. We have already interrogated some youths in the town but are yet to make arrests,” he told Deccan Herald by phone.

Undeclared bandh
The incident led to undeclared shutdown of the town. People closed down the shops voluntarily in protest against the incident. Meanwhile, the BJP, led by its former MLA Araga Jnanendra, staged a massive protest in the town, demanding the arrest of the culprits.

When the girl’s body was brought from Manipal, thousands of people took it out in a procession for the funeral. Some people threw stones at shops belonging to another community during the procession after knowing that a rape case was not registered. There were heated arguments between the police and the people. To bring the situation under control, police caned the troublemakers.

Shimoga district in-charge minister Kimmane Ratnakar also offered condolences to the girl’s family.