A total of ten individuals, including four women, have been booked in connection with the alleged gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, whose body parts were found in a coal furnace, news agency PTI reported by citing the police on Friday. Authorities have arrested four men, and one minor has been detained in relation to the case.
According to the report, the victim's alleged murder and subsequent burning in a coal furnace in a village in Bhilwara have sparked outrage, with locals claiming that she was also subjected to gang rape. An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) from the Kotra police station has been suspended for alleged negligence in the case. The ASI reportedly failed to act promptly when the girl's family members reported her disappearance on Wednesday, it said.
According to the police, partially burned body parts suspected to belong to the deceased were discovered in a village pond on Friday during a search operation, the report said.
SP Bhilwara Adarsh Sidhu called this a "rarest of rare cases" and promised that every effort would be made to ensure that the accused received the death penalty, it added.
According to the SP, some of the minor's body parts were allegedly burned in the boiler, while others were allegedly disposed of in a nearby pond to remove evidence.
"There are ten accused involved in the crime, including six males and four women," Sidhu was quoted as saying by PTI.
Kalu Lal (25) and Kanha (21), Sanjay Kumar (20), and Pappu (35) are among those arrested. The detained minor's age is currently being determined, he added.
The SP stated that Kanha and Kalu were allegedly involved in the gang rape, and that four women, including the wives of two male accused, were also involved in evidence destruction. According to the SP, the other two women arrested are the mother of one of the accused and the sister of another.
Due to the severity of the crime, efforts are being made to expedite the case through a fast-track court in order to secure capital punishment for all of the accused, the SP added.
Forensic experts will look into whether the girl was conscious or unconscious when she was placed in the furnace, as well as whether her body was dismembered before being thrown into it, the report said.
According to police, the minor went missing on Wednesday while out grazing cattle. On the same night, the accused allegedly gang-raped her and burned her body in a coal furnace.
Meanwhile, the state government has come under fire from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the incident.
The incident was brought to the Rajya Sabha's attention on Friday. During the House meeting at 12 noon, the BJP expressed concern about the killing of a girl in Bhilwara and requested a discussion on Rajasthan's law and order situation.
Former state president Arun Chaturvedi accused Chief Minister Gehlot of being preoccupied with election preparations and appearing powerless to combat violence against women. BJP national secretary Alka Gurjar called the incident "gruesome" during a press conference at the party headquarters.