Umesh Kumar Ray 
Patna: Amid countrywide protests against the gruesome rape and murder of a doctor at West Bengal’s RG Kar Hospital, Bihar witnessed widespread protests against the alleged rape and murder of a Mahadalit minor girl in Muzaffarpur, about 100 kilometres from the state capital Patna.
She was allegedly kidnapped from her house on the night of August 11 and her body was recovered the next morning from a chaur (a shallow waterbody).
As the news spread, protests intensified in different districts of the state with many demanding severe punishment for culprits.
So far, the police have arrested five accused including Sanjay Yadav, who is suspected of murdering the girl. The other arrested have been identified as Pankaj Ram, Mithilesh Kumar, Chunnu Paswan and Munna Ram.
A police source told The Wire that at least two more persons are suspected to have been involved in this case. “We are looking for them,” he added.
The incident
Based on what the police and the victim’s family have revealed about the incident, it seems that the murder was not pre-planned.
While the girl’s family claims that she was abducted by five persons including Yadav from her home, the police has alleged that Yadav (the main accused) and the minor girl met at a deserted place outside the village on August 11 between 10:30-11pm.
One of her relatives said, “They were five [people] and had covered their faces. They threatened her with dire consequences and kidnapped her. We searched the village but we could not find her. In the morning, villagers found her body in chaur and informed us.”
According to the villagers, Yadav is married and has three children. His wife died a few years ago. The girl’s family claims that Sanjay wanted to marry her. Another relative of the girl said, “He proposed many times, but we didn’t want her to marry him. He was angry about this and threatened to rape her.”
What has the investigation revealed?
Soon after the body was recovered, the victim’s family lodged an FIR in a local police station naming Yadav. The police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and started an investigation.
According to the police’s findings, the girl was not kidnapped but had gone to meet Sanjay at her own will. Muzaffarpur SSP Rakesh Kumar said that according to CDR (Call Detail Record), Yadav had talked to the girl before the meeting and asked her to meet him at the deserted place.
Local sources say that Sanjay and the girl have known each other for quite some time and talked to each other multiple times over the phone. Sanjay lives in a nearby village and would be often seen in the minor’s village.
The SSP said, “Five local people knew about their relationship for two to three months and didn’t approve of it. They were waiting to catch them red-handed. As soon as the girl arrived to meet Yadav, within two to three minutes, all five individuals confronted them. A heated argument ensued, followed by a scuffle.”
Police investigation further revealed that one Pankaj Ram attacked the girl with a rod and hit her in the head after which she became unconscious. He also attacked her with khurpi (a sharp agricultural tool) and then all five fled the spot.
Then, Yadav tied her limbs and strangled her. After that he dragged her body 20 meters away and buried her, digging the earth with khurpi.
It is not yet known why Yadav killed her. The police have said that he feared she would reveal everything if she remained alive. But according to the police’s own version, it was the five others who attacked the girl and not Yadav. It is also not clear who brought the khurpi and what his motive was.
After the incident, Yadav fled the village in a car (Bolero) with the help of one Mithilesh. He was hiding in Araria.
Police have so far seized the khurpi, the car and four mobile phones of the accused.
Soon after the girl’s body was recovered, local media claimed that the her breasts were cut and there were severe injuries in on her private parts, suggesting rape. These claims were amplified on social media as well.
However, the Muzaffarpur police in its press release claimed the injuries were only on her neck, head and hands. The lab report of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur says “No Spermatozoa found”, according to the press release. “Neither medical report confirmed the rape nor the accused have told about it during interrogation,” the SSP said.
What politicians said
Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) chief Mayawati took to X to register her protest against this incident. She wrote, “(…) a few days later, Sanjay Rai (Yadav) and his companions gang-raped and brutally murdered a 14-year-old Dalit girl of Muzaffarpur district. This report received from BSP Bihar State Unit is extremely sad and worrying.”
“The Bihar government should take both these incidents very seriously and take strict action against all the culprits so that such incidents do not happen again. Government should pay special attention to the safety and respect of Dalits,” she wrote.
“I am extremely saddened and angry at the incident of kidnapping and torturing a 14-year-old Dalit innocent girl in Paroo police station area of Muzaffarpur injuring her entire body with a knife and finally killing her by cutting off her breasts,” Chandra Shekhar Aazad, MP and national president of Azad Samaj Party wrote on X.
“Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ji should ensure the arrest of the criminals within 24 hours and curb the increasing crime against Dalits, otherwise we are forced to protest,” he added.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav wrote on X , “The law and order situation in Bihar is very bad and worrisome. The common Bihari is scared of the daily kidnappings, rapes, loots and murders and the chief minister is not paying attention to it. In Muzaffarpur, Bihar, some people openly challenged the parents of a 9th class girl and kidnapped the minor in front of them. In this heart-wrenching gruesome incident, the brutes killed the minor after gangraping her and threw her body in a pond. The victim’s family should get justice as soon as possible and the monsters guilty of such a heinous crime should get the harshest punishment.”
Some Dalit rights organisations’ workers reached the victim’s home and later attacked the house of the accused. They also made caste-based provocative statements and accused police officers of inaction.
Police have lodged a separate FIR against 16 named and 250 unnamed persons for creating ruckus and making controversial remarks about the police. Sixteen persons including one Golden Das has been arrested in this case.