Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Bairagarh ignited massive outrage among people here on Saturday. The members of Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and residents staged a protest, demanding capital punishment for the suspect.
The protest continued for about four hours as the demonstrators blocked Bhopal-Sehore Road that caused massive traffic jam stretching to nearly two kilometres. The protesters demanded that the suspect be sentenced to death or handed over to the public.
Some protesters also attempted to forcibly enter Bairagarh police station but were stopped by police personnel. Additional police forces were deployed to prevent the situation from escalating.
The demonstrators demanded that the case should be heard in a fast-track court to ensure speedy justice. They also called for bulldozer action and sought assurances of strict action. The road blockade caused inconvenience to commuters with vehicles stranded in long queues along the busy route.
The condition in which the body was found triggered widespread anger among local residents. The post-mortem report indicated sexual assault and strangulation. The girl's body was found wrapped in a blanket, her front teeth were broken and her lower clothes were missing.
The victim left her home on Thursday night but did not return. After an overnight search, her body was found at 8 am on Friday in an abandoned structure.
ACP Ratnesh Tomar said the suspect Moin had been arrested. He added that traffic was disrupted during the protest but the situation was brought under control. After the protest, the family took the girl's body home for the last rites.
CCTV footage surfaces
The CCTV footage from the night of the incident has emerged, showing the suspect taking the girl with him. A short while later, he is seen returning alone.
Based on the footage and information provided by the girl's family, police arrested 23-year-old Moin. Police officials said the suspect admitted to the crime during questioning.
Forced victim to sniff whitener
According to DCP Adarshkant Shukla, the suspect is addicted to sniffing whitener and drugs. He lured the victim to the abandoned building and offered her whitener to sniff after sexual assault.
When she refused, he forced her and tried to stuff her mouth with a cloth soaked in whitener, which caused her death on the spot. The suspect, Moin, is married and does odd jobs for a living. He has a past case registered against him for consuming alcohol in a public place.
