MUZAFFPUR: A 14-year-old Dalit girl is fighting for her life after allegedly being gang raped and assaulted in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, on Sunday. The incident has shocked the local community and reignited criticism of law enforcement and healthcare provision in the state.
The victim, a resident within the Aurai police station limits in Muzaffarpur district, was found unconscious in an orchard near Jhajhihat Sareh village under the Pupari police station jurisdiction in Sitamarhi district.
She was first taken to a primary health centre and then referred to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur for advanced treatment. “Marks of injury on her head were found. Blood was oozing out from her private parts,” stated Ranjeet Kumar, a sub-inspector at Pupari police station.
The girl had gone missing from her home under Aurai police station limits on July 26. According to her parents, she left home to get her mobile phone repaired at a shop. “We suspected foul play when she did not return home,” her father informed the police.
The family reported her disappearance to local authorities the following day, upon which a missing person complaint was registered. Preliminary investigation revealed that the girl had allegedly been detained and raped by the mobile repair shop owner and his accomplices inside the shop.
When her condition worsened due to excessive bleeding, the shop owner and his accomplices allegedly transported her in a car and abandoned her near a bush on the Muzaffarpur–Sitamarhi district border. Police suspect they assaulted her with a blunt object from behind, believing this would ensure her death.
Residents of Jhajhihat Sareh village discovered her unconscious and alerted the police. “The condition of the girl is serious. She is undergoing treatment at the SKMCH,” confirmed Saharyar Khan, additional SP, Muzaffarpur.
Khan also affirmed the detention of two suspects, including the shop owner. The investigating officer indicated that the suspects admitted to the crime, stating they dumped the victim after striking her on the head with an iron rod.
Additional SP Khan said the victim’s statement would be recorded once her health improved and confirmed security provisions for the survivor at the hospital.
An investigating officer quoted the prime suspect: “We selected the area on the border of the two districts with an objective that it would be difficult for police to solve the matter.”
Meanwhile, a Congress delegation led by state president Rajesh Kumar visited the victim at SKMCH and assured the family of justice. Speaking to the media, the Congress state chief said the girl started to receive adequate treatment only after the intervention of the party’s district unit.
“The shameful incident is yet another proof that lawlessness prevails in Bihar. The guilty must be given exemplary punishment,” he asserted