Disabled girl, 12, raped and BEHEADED ‘by her cousin’ in latest horrific murder to rock India
A DISABLED girl was allegedly raped and beheaded by her 25-year-old cousin, it has been reported.
The 12-year-old's body was found in the Dantiwada area of Banaskantha district, India, on Saturday.
Police were informed about the girl's disappearance on October 16 and an investigation was launched.
The following day, the girl's body was found near a pond in the border of Moti Bhakhar village, reports.
Her head was located "some distance of the body" and early investigations suggested the girl was raped before the killing, police said.
Dr Kushal Ojha, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Deesa, said: "The case came to light when Dantiwada police found a decapitated body near the pond near Moti Bhakhar village.
"A day earlier, police were informed of the disappearance of a 12-year-old girl from the area.
"On the morning of October 17, the body of a minor was found in the border of Moti Bhakhar village.
"The police also found the severed head of the girl at some distance of the body.
"On investigation, it was confirmed that the body was of the missing girl."
The police officer said that police immediately started the investigation in the case and searched the CCTV footage of the area nearby for clues, according to .
"In CCTV footage the accused Nitin Mali, cousin of the deceased, was found to be riding with the victim on his bike," he said.
He added: "[A] primary investigation revealed that Nitin raped the victim and later beheaded her due to the fear of getting exposed."
Rajulben Desai, Member of National Commission for Women, who visited the area, said attacks on women were on the rise.
"The increasing incidence of atrocities and rapes against women, especially minors, is of great concern to society," she said.
The body of the victim was sent for a post-mortem and further investigations are ongoing.
Earlier this month, hundreds of protesters demanded the dismissal of the government of a northern Indian state where a 19-year-old woman was allegedly gang raped and later died in a hospital.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
The demonstrators shouted "Hang the rapists" and "First raped by devils, then by the system" as they gathered near Parliament in New Delhi.
The protesters, including Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, said the Uttar Pradesh state government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party did not allow anyone to meet the victim’s family and that police cordoned off their village.
In India, rape and sexual violence have been under the spotlight since the 2012 gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus.
The attack sparked massive protests and inspired politicians to order the creation of fast-track courts dedicated to rape cases and stiffen penalties for those convicted of the crime.
This year has already seen a string of attacks on women in India.
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A teenage girl was kidnapped and repeatedly gang-raped over a 22-day period after she ran away from home.
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The 17-year-old was snatched after she had left home following an argument with her parents in Cuttack, India.
Last month, another Indian woman died after she was brutally gang raped.
