PATNA: Plucking a mango from a nearby orchard proved costly for an 11-year-old girl who was gang raped and subsequently killed by five youths in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, the police officials said on Wednesday, as per a report by the Indian Express.
The incident which took place on May 31, came to light on June 1 when the victim’s family lodged a formal complaint about the girl’s disappearance of since the previous evening. Nanpur police station in Sitamarhi district registered a case and started investigation.
Amit Ranjan, Superintendent of Police (SP), Sitamarhi, stated that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted under the leadership of the Deputy SP of Pupri to probe the case. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that five youths had a confrontation with the girl over the plucking of a mango from an orchard.
The youths brutally assaulted her, took her to a nearby under-construction building and raped her. During sexual assault, the girl’s condition deteriorated, and she died. Thereafter, the offenders hanged her body with the roof of the building to make it appear as a suicidal case.
The accused — Satyam Kumar, Ranvir Kumar, Harshvardhan Kumar, Ajit Kumar, and Ravi Kumar — all residents of Chatgaura village under the jurisdiction of Nanpur police station, have been arrested. During interrogation, they admitted to committing the crime.
Superintendent of Police Amit Ranjan stated that the investigating officer has been directed to gather scientific evidence against the accused. “With all the accused now in custody, we will recommend the case for a speedy trial. The chargesheet will be filed at the earliest,” he added.
The incident has triggered tension in the village, with residents demanding strict punishment for the culprits. “The accused should be hanged,” said a close relative of the victim, speaking to local journalists at Sitamarhi Sadar Hospital, where the postmortem was conducted.
Bihar has witnessed a series of rape incidents in recent past. At least three incidents of sexual assault and murder were reported from Muzaffarpur district in the past one week alone. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav visited Turki in Muzaffarpur to meet family members of one of the victims on Tuesday.
A nine-year-old girl was raped and attacked with a knife by the accused at a village under Kudhani police station on May 26. The victim was initially admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and was later referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Saturday for further treatment.
The victim was reportedly left waiting for over four hours in an ambulance due to the unavailability of a bed at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH). Her uncle alleged that this delay in receiving timely medical care ultimately led to her death on Sunday morning. The apparent negligence and apathy of the hospital administration have sparked widespread outrage and condemnation.
In response to the incident, the state health department took swift action on Tuesday by removing Dr. Abhijeet Singh, Deputy Superintendent of PMCH, and suspending Dr. Kumari Vibha, Superintendent of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), for their alleged dereliction of duty.
Health Minister Mangal Pandey informed the media that a three-member committee has been formed to thoroughly investigate the allegations made by the victim’s family. “Further action will be taken based on the committee’s findings,” he stated.
A three-member committee consisting of Dr. Aryan Choudhary, Dr. B.K. Singh, and Dr. Pramod Kumar has been tasked with conducting a thorough investigation into the incidents at both SKMCH in Muzaffarpur and PMCH in Patna. The team has been directed to submit its report at the earliest.
Social media platforms have been flooded with posts demanding justice for Zohra, the minor rape victim from Muzaffarpur, with hashtags calling for swift and decisive action against the perpetrators. Netizens are expressing deep anger and frustration over the alarming frequency of such crimes in Bihar, where incidents of sexual violence against minors are becoming disturbingly common. Many users have pointed out the apparent collapse of law and order in the state, urging the government to wake up from its apathy and take strict action to ensure safety and justice. The public sentiment is clear—Bihar can no longer afford to ignore these horrifying realities.
