Muzaffarpur (Bihar): Six people have been booked and one arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a 14-year-old Dalit girl in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. The girl’s mutilated body was found near a pond in her village on August 12, officials said on Saturday. According to the complaint lodged by the girl’s mother, the main accused, identified as Sanjay Rai (41), along with five accomplices, forcibly entered her home on August 11 and abducted her daughter. Rai, a resident of the same village.
"The mother alleged that Sanjay murdered her daughter. She claimed that Sanjay, whose wife had passed away, had been pressuring her for the past six months to force her daughter into marriage with him. On the night of August 11, while her husband and son were sleeping outside, Sanjay and his associates forcibly abducted her daughter. The following morning, her body was found near a pond."
An FSL team was sent to the crime scene where they recovered an iron hoe stained with blood. Muzaffarpur SSP Rakesh Kumar said, “The body of a minor girl was found on August 12. The post-mortem revealed injury marks on her head, neck and hands.” Officials revealed that the minor girl and the accused had been in contact for a long time, with phone records showing communication between them. An investigation into the matter is underway.
One associate of Sanjay Rai, identified as Mithilesh Kumar, has been arrested for allegedly helping Sanjay escape the district after carrying out the crime. Soon after the police started interrogation of the arrested accused.
A search operation is underway to nab the absconding Sanjay Rai. Speaking to the media, Saraiya SDPO Kumar Chandan said, "The notice has been served at the house of the accused Sanjay Yadav as per the court procedure. If the accused does not surrender before the police or the court, then the house will be confiscated.”
BSF chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati tweeted about the incident on Tuesday. “Recently in Bihar, Kamlesh Yadav and his companions gang-raped an 18-year-old Dalit girl of Madhubani district and a few days later, Sanjay Rai (Yadav) and his companions gang-raped and brutally murdered a 14-year-old Dalit girl in Muzaffarpur district,” she pointed out.
The opposition RJD has also criticised the ruling BJP and JD (U) for their silence on the Muzaffarpur case. RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed accused them of adopting a double standard, saying they condemned incidents in Kolkata, but remained silent on crimes against Dalit women in Bihar.
In response, JD (U) spokesperson Anjum Ara dismissed the allegations, stating, “We do not politicise such issues. We take concrete action to curb crime, unlike the RJD, which only engages in political drama.” She emphasised that the safety of daughters should not be used for political gain.
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