Hazaribagh, March 27 (IANS) The brutal rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kusumba village under the Vishnugarh block of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh district has sent shockwaves across the state, triggering widespread outrage.

The victim’s family refused to perform the last rites for three days, demanding swift justice and arrests, before agreeing to the cremation on Friday evening.

The BJP, on the other hand, issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Hemant Soren government. State BJP president Aditya Sahu and Hazaribagh MP Manish Jaiswal visited Kusumba village and met the bereaved family.

The BJP leaders warned that if all the accused are not arrested by Saturday, a complete shutdown will be observed across Hazaribagh district on Monday. They further cautioned that failure to act would lead to a statewide agitation and a call for a ‘Jharkhand Bandh’.

The body of the minor was recovered from a thicket near the village on Wednesday.

According to locals, a ‘Mangala procession’ was organised in the village on Tuesday evening to mark the auspicious festival of Ram Navami. The girl had gone to watch the procession but did not return home by 8 p.m., prompting her family to launch a search.

Despite a night-long search in the village and surrounding areas, the girl could not be traced. Her mutilated body was found the next day, on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the girl was raped before she was murdered. The incident has sparked intense anger and protests across the district.

While meeting the victim’s family, BJP leaders strongly criticised the administration and questioned the state’s law and order situation. They alleged that neither the Deputy Commissioner nor the Superintendent of Police had visited the family even after such a heinous crime.

The BJP leaders further claimed that despite more than 72 hours having passed, no arrests have been made. They accused senior police officials of merely going through the motions.

Former minister Amar Bauri also targeted the government. He said this reflects the administration’s insensitivity.

Meanwhile, Vishnugarh SDPO Baijnath Prasad said that crucial evidence has been collected from the crime scene with the help of a forensic team and a dog squad. He said clarity would emerge after the post-mortem report is received and claimed that police are close to apprehending the culprits.

The SDPO assured the victim’s family of security and said arrests would be made soon.

However, tension continues to prevail in the area, with villagers and family members expressing deep anger. The BJP has made it clear that if tangible results are not seen within 24 hours, the agitation will be intensified with sit-in protests at the district headquarters.

A heavy police force has been deployed across the region to maintain law and order.

--IANS

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