Minor girl’s body found along Nehru Path in city

Patna: The discovery of the body of an unidentified minor girl near Lalit Bhawan under Shastri Nagar police station in the state capital caused concern in the area on Sunday morning. Locals who were out for a morning walk spotted the body and informed the police.Upon receiving information, officers from Shastri Nagar police station immediately reached the spot, cordoned off the area and began an investigation. According to police sources, the girl is believed to be aged around 16-18. The police have taken the body into custody and sent it to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) for postmortem. The identity of the deceased has not yet been established.Sub-divisional police officer II of Secretariat, Saket Kumar, said, “A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and a dog squad have been called to the spot to collect evidence. CCTV footage from the surrounding areas is being thoroughly examined, along with other leads, to establish the identity of the victim and trace the perpetrators. Police are also questioning people nearby to identify the deceased,” he said.“Prima facie, it appears she was murdered and dumped here. There are injury marks on her body. However, the exact cause of death will only be revealed after the postmortem report. We are investigating every aspect of the case and following all legally mandated procedures,” Saket said.According to police, the girl had injury marks around her neck and on other parts of the body. The spot where the body was found was barely 20-30 metres from Nehru Path, one of the busiest areas of the city.Saket said it appears the accused dumped the body in haste on a garbage pile after entering the narrow lane from Nehru Path around midnight.