Uttarakhand: 12-year-old gangraped and killed, protests break out

Uproar was in order in Uttarakhand as the ill-fated incident of a 12-year-old girl being gangraped and brutally killed late on the night of August 17 in Bhakra village in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district has come to light. Five suspects were taken into custody yet no arrests were made till Saturday, the police said.

On August 17, the girl was kidnapped by unidentified people from her house. According to the police, the kidnappers, could have probably been labourers working in a construction site nearby who cut off the power lines and abducted the victim from the house, which had five other members.

Uttarkashi: 12-yr-old girl allegedly abducted, gang-raped & killed by four men in Bhakra village last night. Case filed. Internet services suspended in the area following protests by locals. Police say,'Special Investigation Team of 9 officials have been constituted.'#Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/XNhoFqz4qc

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018

“According to the information received, the victim was taken to a place near the house and gangraped by up to five persons. She was then strangled to death,” Uttarkashi District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said.

“The accused barged into the girl’s house at Bhakda village of the district on Friday after cutting off the power lines and abducted her while she was sleeping along with her parents,” said Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Dadan Pal.
“They took her to some place away from her house and took turns in raping her. After committing the crime, they allegedly killed her and dumped the body on a bridge near the village,” the SP added.

Early in the morning on August 18, the girl’s body was found on a bridge. While the police and district administration began efforts to nab the guilty, the villagers took to the streets and demanded that the guilty be arrested. The protests had spread across the district and internet services remained suspended by the evening of August 18.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat condemned the alleged gang-rape and murder of the minor and assured that stringent action shall be taken against the accused.

The Chief Minister took to Twitter and said, “The murder of a girl child after gang-rape in Uttarkashi has shaken me. There is no place for such demonic crimes in our ‘Devbhumi’ and I assure that all culprits in this incident will be given strictest punishment under the law.”

The murder of a girl child after gang-rape in Uttarkashi has shaken me. There is no place for such demonic crimes in our 'Devbhumi' and I assure that all culprits in this incident will be given strictest punishment under the law: Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat pic.twitter.com/WSWOM1AEO1

— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2018

“All contractors or workmen will have to ensure that the verification of workers coming from outside has to be done. All District Magistrates are given clear instructions regarding the identification of those who have not been verified and take appropriate action,” he added.

Uttarakhand Police added, “A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of nine officials has been constituted to probe the alleged gang-rape of the minor.”

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