16-yr-old hacked to death, stalker held in MP: cops

Durgesh Armo, Balaghat sub-divisional officer, said the accused, Kiran Maskole, had been stalking the girl. After the Class 11 student refused to marry him, Maskole on Monday hit her with an axe, he added.

Published on: Sep 8, 2021, 02:15:41 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Hindustan Times, Bhopal

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A 25-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly hacking a 16-year-old girl to death in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, police said.

The accused has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. (Representational image)

Durgesh Armo, Balaghat sub-divisional officer, said the accused, Kiran Maskole, had been stalking the girl. After the Class 11 student refused to marry him, Maskole on Monday hit her with an axe, he added.

“The girl was on her way home from school with her friends when Maskole attacked her. Her friends are in shock. They initially refused to recognise the accused but later informed the police that Kiran killed the girl. He used to follow her, forcing her to marry him,” the police officer said.

The girl was taken to a nearby community health centre, where doctors declared her brought dead, Armo said, adding that the accused has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. Further investigation is on, said the officer.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More