RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Monday took Suo-moto cognisance of the brutal rape and murder of a minor in Hazaribagh.
During the hearing, the court directed the state Home Secretary, Director General of Police and the Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police to submit their responses. The court also raised serious questions over the delay in arresting the accused and instructed authorities to ensure adequate security for the victim’s family.
Earlier, Advocate Hemant Shikarwar brought the matter to the court’s attention, citing media reports and describing the incident as comparable to the Delhi ‘Nirbhaya’ case stating that the perpetrators had crossed all limits of brutality.
Calling the crime a heinous act that shames humanity, the court sought a detailed status report on the investigation from the Hazaribagh SP, who joined the proceedings virtually.
The SP informed the court that police teams rushed to the spot immediately after receiving information and gathered vital evidence with the assistance of a forensic team and dog squad. He further stated that, on the directions of DGP Tadasha Mishra, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted and is actively probing the case. The SP also assured the court that the accused will be identified and arrested soon.
However, the court observed that the failure to arrest the culprits even six days after the incident was a matter of serious concern.
According to police, the incident occurred on the evening of Ram Navami, when a Mangala Shobhayatra was being held in the village. The minor girl had gone to watch the procession but did not return home. After an overnight search, her mutilated body was recovered from the bushes near the village the next day.
Preliminary investigation suggests she was raped before being murdered. The incident has triggered widespread outrage in the region, with local residents staging protests demanding swift justice. The BJP has also called a bandh in Hazaribagh on Monday. A bandh called by the Bharatiya Janata Party saw a significant impact across both urban and rural areas of Hazaribagh. Markets remained closed, shops were shut, and transportation services were disrupted as people extended voluntary support to the protest, demanding justice for the victim.
Member of Parliament from Hazaribagh Manish Jaiswal issued a strong warning to the district administration, stating that failure to arrest the accused promptly would lead to an intensified agitation. While supporting the ongoing bandh in Hazaribagh, he cautioned that the protest could be expanded into a statewide shutdown if necessary. “The mother of the victim is pleading for justice for her daughter. Such a heinous act is a blot on society,” he said. The BJP also made it clear that it will continue its agitation from the streets to the legislature until the culprits are arrested and given strict punishment.