Palamu minor girl harassment case: Nine accused arrested; hunt on for 10 others

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, August 1: In a major breakthrough in the Palamu minor girl harassment case, Chainpur police have arrested nine named accused involved in the alleged harassment of a minor girl and the subsequent violence that claimed one life and left two others seriously injured in Bandua village under the Chainpur police station.

All nine accused, arrested on Thursday, were produced before a court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody, Superintendent of Police (SP) Kapil Chaudhary said.

The FIR, lodged by the injured father of the minor girl, names 19 accused. Police have launched an intensive search for the remaining 10 accused, including the alleged prime accused, Azad.

Nine Arrested After Hiding in Garhwa

According to the SP, the accused had fled to neighbouring Garhwa district after the July 29 violence.

“All nine accused had sneaked into the neighbouring Garhwa district. They were tracked down and arrested one by one,” said SP Kapil Chaudhary.

Police said Gokul Miyan, a man in his early twenties, was the first to be arrested. His interrogation helped investigators identify and apprehend the remaining eight accused. All those arrested are in their early twenties.

Harassment Allegedly Continued for Months

Explaining the background of the case, the SP said the victim, a girl below 16 years of age, had allegedly been subjected to harassment by a group of young men over an extended period.

“The minor girl had been harassed by a group of young boys for a long time. On July 29, the situation escalated into violence following a confrontation between the girl’s family and the accused,” the SP said.

Police said it was the accused group that allegedly launched the attack.

One Killed, Two Injured in Violence

Makbool Miyan (28), a relative of the girl, was allegedly stabbed during the attack and later succumbed to his injuries.

The girl’s father, Suleiman (45), sustained a gunshot injury to his chest and is undergoing treatment at MMCH, Daltonganj. A woman from the family also suffered a knife injury to her hand.

Police said none of the accused sustained injuries during the incident.

Murder, Attempt to Murder and POCSO Charges Invoked

Police have registered the case under charges of murder, attempt to murder, relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, considering that the victim is a minor.

The FIR was lodged late on July 30 by the injured father of the girl.

Police said both the victim’s family and the accused belong to economically weaker sections of the Muslim community and are residents of Bandua village under the Chainpur police station limits.

Weapon Recovered During Investigation

During the investigation, police recovered a blood-stained knife believed to have been used in the attack, along with two belts suspected to have been used to assault members of the victim’s family.

Police sources said prompt action by the investigating team ensured the swift arrest of the accused before they could evade the law.