The family of a minor girl whose body was found three days ago is refusing to perform her last rites until her killers are caught.
The body of a 15-year-old girl from the Hakki Pikki community was found near the railway tracks near Bhadrapura in Bidadi, Ramanagara district, on May 11, according to media reports. The girl had speech and hearing impairments.
A senior police officer told TNM that the girl was a Class 8 student and that a case has been registered at Bidadi police station. She went missing after attending a birthday party at a neighbour's house. He said that he had yet to look at the post-mortem report and could not comment on whether she was sexually assaulted. He said no arrests had been made yet.
The girl’s family is refusing to perform her last rites and instead has kept her body in front of their tin-sheet hut.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who met the girl’s family, told the media on Wednesday, May 14, that the police have registered a case of suspicious death.
“It appears that her head had three to four injuries. It is a case of suspicious death, and the police have registered a case. The family says that they do not suspect anyone. The police are investigating all angles. The post-mortem has been done, and the police are waiting for the FSL report.”
The girl was studying in a hostel and had come home for the holidays. “The police have a free hand to investigate. They will investigate all angles. The government will ensure justice,” Shivakumar said. On the villagers’ demand that the village lacked basic infrastructure like street lights, Shivakumar said the problems would be addressed.
The family has been provided with a compensation of Rs 4.62 lakh.