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Bikaner schoolgirl found dead en route to exam; rape feared, protests erupt
Additional police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order in view of the tense situation.
A 13-year-old girl was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Rajasthan’s Bikaner on Saturday, triggering protests by locals who alleged that the minor was raped, the police said.
Bikaner superintendent of police Kavendra Singh Sagar said the girl was a Class VIII student at a government school in Ranjeetpur, located about four kilometres from her home. “The incident took place at around 11.30am on Saturday when she was going to appear for her exam,” he said.
However, around 12.30pm, the school authorities informed her parents that she had not reached the school. “Her parents and some locals immediately began searching for her and later recovered her body from a forest area close to a highway. The spot is barely a kilometre from the school,” the SP said.
Police said the body was found half-naked and bore visible injury marks. Following this, locals staged a dharna on the highway, alleging that the minor had been raped.
Senior police officers and district administration officials reached the spot late at night to hold talks with the family members and protesters. However, the protesters refused to allow the body to be shifted to the mortuary until their demands were met.
“The protesters demanded immediate action against the culprit and compensation of ₹1 crore for the family. The administration could not reach an agreement last night,” Sagar said.
On Sunday morning, the protesters agreed to allow the body to be shifted to the mortuary, though the dharna continued. The SP said the body had been sent for post-mortem examination, and an FIR had been registered under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.
“The post-mortem report will confirm whether sexual assault took place. We are examining nearby CCTV footage and questioning local residents to identify the culprits. Further investigation is underway,” he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order in view of the tense situation.
The incident also triggered a political row, with opposition Indian National Congress leaders attacking the state government over the law and order situation. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully said, “This incident has exposed the pathetic condition of law and order in the state. The situation is so bad that women are scared to step out. I urge Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to order a thorough probe and ensure the perpetrators are arrested.”
Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra also described the incident as disheartening and shameful. “The environment has become so fearful that girls are scared to go to school,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bikaner MP and Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said he had spoken to the SP and directed that strict action be taken against those responsible.
