12-Year-Old Missing Girl's Body Found After 5 Days In Bhind River; Stepfather Says He Hid Corpse Fearing Social Shame After Suicide

Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): A 12-year-old girl who had gone missing from Gwalior's Sirol area was found dead under suspicious circumstances near the Sindh River in Bhind's Mau area on Saturday.

Her body was recovered in a badly damaged condition from the riverbank.

Police suspect that crocodiles may have eaten parts of the body. The girl's mother and stepfather have been taken into custody for questioning.

According to police, the girl's stepfather claimed that she died by suicide at home on May 24. He alleged that, fearing social shame and police action, he took the body to Bhind and buried it near the river instead of informing authorities.

The girl, a Class 5 student, was reported missing on May 25 by her stepfather at Sirol police station. However, police said they became suspicious of his statements and behaviour from the beginning and kept monitoring the case closely.

The case took a major turn when the girl's body was recovered from the Sindh River area in Mau. The body has been sent for post-mortem and forensic examination.

Since the body was found in a severely damaged condition, a medical board may conduct the post-mortem. Police are trying to determine whether the girl actually died by suicide or if there is more to the story.

Officials said they have not ruled out the possibility of murder. The exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem report is received.

The stepfather is being questioned. Police said he drives an Eeco van as a taxi for a travel agency.

The girl had been living with her stepfather for the past eight years and had two younger sisters, aged six and eight. Her biological father lives in Bhind, while her mother had separated from him years ago.

The investigation is ongoing.