Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has condemned the gang-rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Uttarkashi's Bhakra village of Dunda block on Saturday, August 18. The chief minister assured strict action against the four suspects involved in the case.
Rawat took to Twitter to express his disbelief and wrote, "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."
"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.
Background
According to the locals, the minor girl was kidnapped from her home by four men who were working in a construction project near the village on Friday night. All these men were reportedly migrant labourers. According to local media reports, the suspect first cut the electricity of the house and then later abducted the girl.
The villagers found the body of the minor girl following day. The victim's father is physically disabled while the mother is mentally challenged. The girl's parents earn their daily livelihood by doing menial jobs.
The incident enraged the locals who went on streets to protest against the brutal rape and demanded immediate action against the accused. The protestors gathered outside the district hospital where the girl's body was sent for post-mortem. The protestors have also refused to take away the body until the justice is served.
Police investigation
Police have filed a case in the gruesome incident. In addition, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of nine officials has been constituted to probe the matter. The police officials stated that they had arrested five suspects although it is uncertain that they were the ones who had committed the crime. "The matter is under investigation. A case has been registered under section 302 (punishment for murder), 376 (rape) and 363 (kidnapping), as well as section 3/4 of the POSCO Act," Uttarkashi SP Sukhbeer Singh was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Meanwhile, internet services have been shut down in the area including Tehri districts, seeing the volatility of the situation.
