Body of missing Class X girl found in Purnia

Patna: The body of a Class X girl who had been missing for nine days was found in Purnia district on Friday. The half-burned body was discovered inside a sack near NH-31 in a bamboo grove. The girl’s mother alleged that she was abducted, raped and murdered, with the perpetrators attempting to cover their tracks by burning the body. Protests erupted after the discovery, with hundreds of people blocking NH-31 and demanding justice and the arrest of those responsible. One person has been arrested, police said.

On receiving the news of the recovery of the body, anger among family members and villagers intensified. Thousands of people came out on the streets. Villagers burned tyres on the road and resorted to arson. Intense sloganeering took place against the police administration. Police later persuaded the protesters and cleared the blockade after about two hours.

Police said the family has alleged that the 17-year-old girl was gang-raped at a local hotel, strangled and her body stuffed into a sack before being dumped in a field. It appears that acid was used to burn the body in an attempt to conceal its identity.

The girl’s cousin said she had gone missing on March 11. “We searched on our own, but could not find any clue. On March 12, a complaint was filed at the local police station. The victim used to talk to a local youth named Sachin Kumar Sah. He was the one who abducted her. Along with several boys, he committed the crime. After the rape, they killed her. Looking at the condition of the body, it appears she was killed the same day,” she alleged.

Police have arrested the main accused, Sachin Kumar Sah, who is 22 years old.

Purnia SP Sweety Sehrawat said, “The body has been recovered based on the identification by the main accused, and the FSL team has collected evidence from the crime scene. Police have taken one suspect into custody, while raids are ongoing to trace the other accused. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and after the report arrives, official confirmation of rape and use of acid can be established.”