A local court, hearing the case of murder of the 16-year-old girl from Patwa community whose mutilated body was found near her house on January 6, on Thursday rejected the bail plea of the two arrested accused in the case, including the girl’s father, and asked the police to gather details of their criminal history and submit the same before it on February 7, the next date of hearing.

Following the directive from the court of additional chief judicial magistrate of Rajeev Kumar, the police quizzed at least half-a-dozen of neighbours of the girl’s family on Thursday itself.

While opposing the bail plea on Thursday, the police told the court they had enough evidence against the girl’s father and his friend. The two are currently lodged in Gaya Central Jail.

What seems to have strengthened the police investigation is the confession of one Kauleshwari Devi, a common friend of the girl’s father and his friend Leela Patwa. She has told police that while Leela Patwa killed the girl, she disposed of the body with her friend to a nearby field.

As per the police investigation, the girl’s parents lodged a missing complaint with the Buniyadganj police station on December 28 last year. The police, however, registered a case on January 4 and started the investigation. On January 6, the police recovered the girl’s mutilated body.

While the police claim it to be a case of “honour killing”, the predominant Patwa community’s member dispute the police theory and allege that the girl’s parents are being framed the police.

The community representatives have also decided meet Governor and press with their demand for a CBI probe.

First Published: Jan 25, 2019 09:19 IST