In another horrific incident, an eight-year-old girl was raped and was brutally killed by drowning in a pond, situated at the confluence of rivers Ruparel and Beda, in Marugarh village under this district's tribal block Jhirniya, police said today.
Police said the girl, daughter of a fisherman Guddu was missing since Saturday evening. After returning from the market, Guddu tried to find out her daughter and asked neighbour Ramesh but he could not give satisfactory answer which led to a argument.
Guddu and other family members searched the girl overnight but could not locate her and finally they found the body in the pond this morning.
Superintendent of Police RP Singh rushed to the spot and began probe by constituting a special investigation team.
Meanwhile, the post-mortem report confirmed that the girl was raped and then killed.
The body was handed over to kin who performed her last rites. On the other hand, Ramesh is absconding since last night. A sketch of the accused has been sent to all police stations and police teams were sent to probable places.
Minor sexually assaults 16-month-old in Mandla
A 16-month-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 12-year-old boy in Jilehati village of Mandla district. Police has booked the boy on Saturday following complaints by the girl's parents. The incident took place on April 18. The boy is on the run.
Niwas police station in charge, RKS Chauhan said, "Parents of the victim were initially under dilemma whether to report the matter or not. We are investigating the matter after registering the case". The accused is the neighbour of the victim, he said.
On Thursday, the mother of victim went out to watch TV in a neighbour's house while the girl was playing with the boy, Chauhan said.
"On returning she didn't find the girl, and went to look out for her at the boy's home where she found the boy practicing some unnatural acts on the girl. The boy fled after seeing her," Chauhan said.
Fearing that her family members will be angry for not taking care of the girl, the woman didn't inform her husband on Thursday, on Friday she narrated the incident to her mother-in-law, but as there were unseasonal rain they didn't go to police station for registering complaint on Friday, thus the complaint was made on Saturday, police said referring the statement of the victim's family.
"The victim has not sustained any injuries, the accused has been booked under section 354, (criminal attempt to outrage modesty), section 354 and relevant juvenile laws," Chauhan said.