Hundreds of angry residents held road blockade and other protests in Karjat tehsil of Ahmednagar district on Saturday over the torture, gang rape and murder of a minor girl on Wednesday night. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the case and a police hunt is on for others. The situation is tense in Karjat and police personnel have been stationed for security.
A huge mob, which included activists of Maratha Seva Sangh, Jijao Brigade and Sambhaji Brigade, converged at Shivaji Chowk and demanded action including the arrest of other rapists and those who gave the suspects shelter.
On Wednesday evening, the victim, a ninth standard girl, was found in a mutilated state under a neem tree.
Flesh from all over her body, including her genitals, were torn. Her hair had been pulled out, hands were broken and dislocated from the shoulders, her teeth were broken and she had been strangled to death after rape.
Sources said that on Wednesday late evening in Kopardi village, the victim’s mother sent the girl to her grandmother’s house located a little further, to borrow some masala. The girl took off on her bicycle. When she did not return, her relatives began calling out to her. Later, they found her lying bleeding under a neem tree.
Prime accused Jeetendra alias Pappu Babulal Shinde was seen standing near her but fled after he saw the relatives, sources said. The relatives chased him but he managed to flee. The family rushed the girl to Kuldharan health centre where the doctors pronounced her dead.
Post-mortem was conducted in Karjat sub-divisional hospital and the body was handed over to the family. Ahmednagar superintendent of police Saurav Tripathi said, “We visited Kopardi today along with the guardian minister and discussed the issues with the locals. I assured them that another suspect, Santosh, has been arrested.” Mr Tripathi further said that the police had acted fast and arrested the main accused within nine hours, showing departmental sensitivity, and added compensation would be paid to the victim’s family under the Manodhairya scheme. The Manodhairya scheme envisages disbursement of compensation and rehabilitation of rape survivors and victims of other offences against women, like acid attack.
