A 12-year-old-girl was allegedly raped and murdered in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, with police on Sunday constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) after her body was recovered from a field close to the village, hours after she went missing near her residence.
Senior Superintendent of Police Budgam, K K Hari Prasad, said preliminary investigation suggests the case appears to be one of rape and murder. “At this stage, prima facie, it appears to be a case of rape and murder. We have already constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team,” he told reporters.
Police on Sunday said the death of a 12-year-old girl from Galwanpora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district is prima facie a case of rape and murder, assuring that all resources are being deployed to crack the case at the earliest. Addressing a news conference , SSP Budgam said that Police Station received information regarding the missing of the minor girl at around 10:00 PM on May 23.He said that police registered an FIR under relevant sections pertaining to the kidnapping of a minor child and launched extensive searches throughout the night.
“This morning at around 7:15 AM, the girl’s body was recovered from a spot nearly 200 metres away from her home,” SSP Budgam said, adding that all medico-legal formalities were subsequently completed."A case of kidnapping a minor child was registered and searches were carried out. Unfortunately, the body of the child was found today morning," SSP said. He said the body was sent for post-mortem examination. He said tracker dogs have been deployed within nearly a one-kilometre radius of the recovery spot, while CCTV footage from nearby areas is also being examined.
“Local suspects are being questioned and evidence seizure and verification processes are going on continuously and simultaneously,” he added. Appealing for public cooperation, the SSP urged people not to circulate misinformation or unverified content regarding the incident.“This case is the top priority of Budgam Police and all available manpower and investigative expertise are dedicated to solving it,” he said.He also appealed to people and media organisations not to share the identity, photographs or personal details of the minor victim on social media or in news reports.
Meanwhile, chief preacher of Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said he was "heartbroken and deeply disturbed" by the incident."The circumstances surrounding this incident are extremely painful and have shaken the conscience of every human being," he said.The Mirwaiz said such incidents spread fear, grief, and deep anxiety among people and demand serious introspection at every level.
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