Minor girl found bludgeoned to death, her friend injured

An 8-year-old girl was found bludgeoned to death and a 10-year-old girl severely injured, both naked, in Patna. Police are awaiting medical reports to confirm rape.

An eight-year-old girl was found bludgeoned to death and a 10-year-old girl accompanying her grievously injured, both naked, in Patna’s Phulwarisharif area on Tuesday morning, a day after they went missing, police said.

Police team at the crime scene at Phulwarisharif in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

The critically injured girl is battling for her life at Patna’s AIIMS.

Locals said the two girls, both from Mahadalit families, had left their houses in Hinduni village around 8.30 am on Monday to collect firewood. When they did not return till late in the evening, their family members went to the local police station to lodge a complaint but were asked to come the next day if the girls did not return.

According to villagers, they started a search on Tuesday morning and found one of them hacked to death and the second girl critically injured. They said the girls were naked and their clothes dumped near them.

Assistant superintendent of police of Phulwarisharif, Vikram Sihag, said the information was received about the incident around 11.30 am on Tuesday. “The body of one of them was found in a field on Tuesday morning. The second girl was also found lying in the field in an injured condition. Police took her to Patna AIIMS. Forensic experts and dog squads have been called,” said the ASP.

The ASP, however, said medical reports were awaited to confirm rape.