10-yr-old found dead in Kolhapur, cops suspect rape

Mumbai: Even as the entire Maharashtra state is seething over the sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls in a school in Badlapur, yet another shocking incident has emerged from Kolhapur, where a 10-year-old girl was allegedly brutally murdered after rape on Thursday morning.

The body of the girl was found lying in a sugarcane field at Ram Nagar area of Shiye village of the Kolhapur district, said police.

The girl was missing since Wednesday evening. Unable to find her, her parents lodged a missing complaint with the Shiroli MIDC Police. The villagers saw her body in the field not far from her house. The police also reached the spot and conducted an investigation.

In the preliminary investigation, the police suspect that the girl might have been murdered after being raped. The police took possession of the dead body and sent it for postmortem.

Kolhapur SP Mahendra Pandit also reached the spot. He said, “As per the preliminary report the minor girl was killed by sexual assault. The police have detained two suspects in connection with the case and are interrogating them. An investigation into the incident is underway.”

Incidentally, this shocking incident came to light on Thursday just hours before a visit of Maharashtra Chief Minister and his two deputies — Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar — to Kolhapur to launch the Mahayuti government’s flagship ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the culprits will face strict action and the state government will provide all possible help to the girl's family.

“The girl’s family is from Bihar. As per primary information, her uncle beat her up on Wednesday afternoon after which she left home. A local police station received a complaint at around 10pm on Wednesday that the girl was missing. Her body was found this morning and the police suspect sexual assault on the girl. The police have detained some suspects and an investigation is on. We will go to the bottom of this case and the perpetrators will face strict action. We will provide all possible help to the family,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The incident comes amid a massive protest over the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls in Badlapur. The police have arrested an attendant at the school in this case. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school. In the wake of the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant. The state government has also ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls.