Minor raped and murdered in Surat

In another shocking case of rape similar to the Kathua incident, the mutilated body of a girl aged about 11 with 86 marks of injuries was found in the Bhestan locality of Surat. A post-mortem examination confirmed repeated sexual assault. Considering the gruesome nature of the case, the Crime Branch of the Surat police has been asked to take over the investigation.

Not yet identified

Satish Sharma, Commissioner of Police, Surat, said the girl, who probably belonged to the Odiya or Bengali community, was killed and the body dumped outside the city.

The victim was yet to be identified.

Surat is a hub of migrants from across the country, and large numbers of them come from Odisha and West Bengal to work in textiles factories and construction sites.

“The girl is believed to have been murdered on April 5 and the body was recovered the next day,” another police official said.

The post-mortem examination revealed sexual assault, “strangulation and smothering”, with 86 signs of minor injuries, Mr. Sharma said.

Ganesh Govekar, a doctor at the Civil Hospital in the city, where the post-mortem was conducted, said, “Going by the nature of the injuries, they seem to have been caused over a period ranging from one week to one day prior to the recovery of the body, suggesting that the girl might have been held captive, tortured and possibly raped.”

The Police Commissioner appealed to people to come forward and help the police establish the identity of the girl. A ₹20,000 cash reward has been announced.

“To identify the deceased, we have taken the help of print and social media, such as WhatsApp, to spread her pictures with the hope that someone who knows her will identify her,” said K.B. Jhala, inspector at the Pandesara police station.

Posters of victim

The Surat police have pasted 1,200 posters of her photo across the city and on trains.

“In order to identify the girl, her details were matched with those of 8,000 lost children in the city,” Mr. Jhala said.

The police have registered a case under Sections 302 (murder) and 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.