Minor girl gangraped in Chhattisgarh, critical

RAIPUR: A minor girl was allegedly gang-raped and then attacked in an attempt to kill her in Chhattisgarh’s Jashpur district when she was returning home from a local nukkad natak programme on Monday. The girl was found unconscious in a forested area and remains in critical condition after she was referred to Ambikapur medical college hospital. Police said that after the alleged sexual assault, the attackers are suspected to have strangled her and inflicted a sharp-force injury to her neck before abandoning her, believing she was dead.The incident was reported from Bagbahar region and according to preliminary information, the 16-year-old girl was walking back from a drama event when a group of youths allegedly intercepted her and took her towards a secluded forest patch. The girl was noticed by passers-by, who alerted locals and rushed her to the nearest health facility. She was shifted from a sub-health centre to Pathalgaon civil hospital, and later referred to Ambikapur due to the severity of her injuries.Police have registered a case under provisions of the IPC and POCSO Act, and teams have been formed to trace the accused. Officers said evidence is being collected from the scene and nearby routes, and potential witness accounts are being verified. The victim’s medico-legal examination has been initiated as per protocol, and her statement will be recorded when doctors certify she is fit.