Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognisance on Monday of the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in the Vishnugarh area of Hazaribagh. The court issued immediate notices to the State Home Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP) demanding an official response to the tragedy.
Court Expresses Stern Concern Adopting a stern view of the incident, the court expressed deep concern over the authorities’ failure to arrest the accused six days after the crime. The bench also directed the state to provide immediate and adequate security to the victim’s family.
Advocate Hemant Shikarwar brought the matter to the court’s attention, citing media reports that compared the brutality of the act to the Delhi ‘Nirbhaya’ case. The court subsequently termed the crime a “heinous act that shames humanity.”
Police Investigation and SIT Formation During virtual proceedings, the Hazaribagh Superintendent of Police (SP) briefed the court on the investigation. The SP confirmed that:
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Forensic teams and dog squads collected evidence at the scene immediately.
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DGP Tadasha Mishra directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.
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Police are actively working to identify and apprehend the culprits.
Despite these assurances, the court maintained that the delay in arrests remains a “matter of serious concern.”
Background of the Incident The crime occurred on the evening of Ram Navami during a village Mangala Shobhayatra. The minor girl disappeared after going to watch the procession; searchers recovered her mutilated body from nearby bushes the following day. Preliminary investigations suggest she suffered a sexual assault before her murder.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, leading to local protests. The BJP has called for a bandh (shutdown) in Hazaribagh today to demand swift justice.
