In yet another gruesome incident in Sangrur district, a 13-year-old girl, who was returning home from a tuition class, was allegedly raped and murdered by unidentified persons at Gaura village near Amargarh on Monday evening.
Amargarh is a town adjoining Malerkotla, where a 12-year-old boy was recently burnt alive following an altercation.
The murder of the girl, a class-8 student, was gruesome as she was hit with a brick on the head and face, apparently to conceal her identity. Her body was found in the fields with severe injury marks on the head, the police said, adding that a case of rape and murder had been registered.
The police, denying the charges of rape, formed a medical board of doctors, which conducted the post-mortem at the civil hospital, Malerkotla. The viscera have been sent to the forensic lab for examination.
SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu said, "The police have included charges of rape, as submitted by the parents, but the medical board found no signs of sexual assault. However, we are probing the incident from all angles, including attempt to rape." He said a combing operation had been launched to nab the accused.
According to information, when the girl, who had gone for tuition, did not return, the family informed the police. During the search, the family found the bicycle of the girl on a kutcha road in the fields and spotted her body later.
{{/usCountry}}According to information, when the girl, who had gone for tuition, did not return, the family informed the police. During the search, the family found the bicycle of the girl on a kutcha road in the fields and spotted her body later.
{{/usCountry}}The SSP said the murder was committed sometime between 6.30pm and 7.30pm as the girl left the house of a classmate at 6pm after attending the tuition class and visiting a temple. The girl's house is located in the fields, with only a few houses around. Finding her alone, the accused committed the crime, he added.
Sources said the police had rounded up two drug addicts from the area, who were roaming near the site of the crime. "We are probing the incident and the accused would be nabbed soon," said the SSP. The body was handed over to the parents.