Murder of minor girl case Chargesheet within three months: IGP
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 05 2020: Chargesheet in connection with the death of the minor girl who was suspected to have been sexually assaulted on September 2 will be submitted before POCSO Court for speedy trial within 3 months, said IGP Zone-I K Jayantakumar today.

Briefing media persons, the IGP stated the investigation is almost complete and the Police Department under the strict supervision of DGP is putting in its best efforts to arrest all involved and crack the case.

IGP Zone-I K Jayantakumar

So far, four suspects have been arrested and police are collecting evidence against them.

The police have identified the main accused who committed the heinous crime, he said.

MPS officer N Rattana Additional SP Investigating Unit of Crime Against Women (IUCAW) Imphal West is leading the investigation, he added.

The chargesheet of the case will be submitted within 3 months for trial as per the norms laid down by Supreme Court of India under POCSO Act.

As the postmortem is awaited, the cause of the death is not known yet.

Police however suspect that she died because of brutal sexual assault, he said adding the postmortem of the victim is yet to be conducted as the JAC in connection with the case and CSOs had requested not to conduct it till the arrest of all culprits.

He appealed all to extend help in the police investigation and in conducting the post-mortem of the victim to find out the cause of the death.

Three suspects remanded:
The three suspects, who were arrested by police yesterday in connection with the death of a minor girl at a place at Mayang Imphal recently, have been remanded to five days police custody by a POCSO Court today.

During the hearing today, it was revealed that hours before she succumbed at RIMS ICU Ward, the minor girl alleged that there was an attempt to murder her.

The three suspects in the case identified as Md Salim Khan (21), Md Noor Mohamad (20) and Md Feji (22) were produced before Special Judge POCSO Imphal West and they were remanded to police custody till September 9.It may be noted that Md Arish, the alleged boyfriend of the minor girl was the first suspect police arrested in the case and he was also remanded to police custody till September 9 by the POCSO Court.

Md Arish was arrested on September 2 hours after the minor girl was found in an unconscious state at a place at Mayang Imphal.

The minor girl was reportedly missing since the previous day (September 1) .

It was reported that the minor girl was called out of her house by her alleged boyfriend on the pretext of eloping.

After locals found the girl unconscious, she was rushed to RIMS where she died the next day (September 3) in the hospital's ICU Ward.

Meanwhile, the three suspects who were remanded today were arrested after they surrendered to the police at Imphal West Women Police Station yesterday.

During the hearing today, Investing Officer of the case, Inspector E Ayangleima through Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP) submitted that on September 2, father of the minor victim lodged a police complaint stating his daughter (the minor victim) went out of their house on September 1 at around 8 pm and did not come back.

They searched for her but couldn't find her and they thought she had eloped.

The next morning, they were informed by some locals that their daughter (minor victim) was found "lying unconscious" and that she might have been sexually assaulted.

The IO submitted that the minor girl was in a semi conscious state when she was admitted at RIMS ICU Ward.

When examined, she disclosed the names of suspects who tried to "murder" her.

However, police couldn't get more information as the examination couldn't be completed in her state.

During the course of the investigation, police arrested the alleged boyfriend of the minor girl, Md Arish Khan @ Maja Khan (19) on September 2 and during preliminary investigation he admitted to the charges levelled against him.

After the death of the minor girl, the inquest of the body was conducted at RIMS mortuary in the presence of a mobile forensic unit and Executive Magistrate Imphal West.

The postmortem of the body is yet to be conducted, submitted the IO.

Meanwhile on preliminary examination, the three suspects arrested yesterday have denied the charges levelled against them.

As the investigation is now in the initial stage, thorough interrogation of the suspects is highly required, submitted the IO and prayed the Court for five days police remand of the suspects.

The Court after hearing the submission of the IO, remanded the three suspects to police custody till September 9 .

On the other hand, according to a senior officer of Imphal West District Police, it is stated that three suspects left their respective houses immediately after the incident and CSOs, local clubs and JAC formed in connection with the incident extended their cooperation in apprehending them.

Investigation of the case is conducted by a team of Imphal West Police under the supervision of N Rattana, Additional SP Investigating Unit of Crime Against Women (IUCAW) Imphal West, said the senior officer appealing the public to remain calm and avoid any mob violence so that police can investigate the case without interruption.

The senior officer also appealed public to share any information that can aid the investigation with the police.

It may be noted that on September 2, an angry mob had dismantled the house of the alleged boyfriend Md Arish Khan.

And after the minor girl's death, angry locals had dismantled the house of suspect Md Feji and attempted to storm the house of other two suspects Md Salim Khan and Md Noor Mohamad.

Police had fired rounds of tear gas shells and mock bombs to control the mob.

Security personnel are still deployed in the area to prevent any further unwanted incident.