Punjab: Minor girl raped and killed by her friend’s father

Punjab: A 14-year-old girl was found raped and murdered in the bathroom of a house in Jalandhar’s Paras Colony last night. The incident sparked outrage among the neighborhood. The crime was allegedly committed by a 45-year-old man, who was the little girl’s neighbor and the father of her friend. The accused has been arrested by the police. The girl had gone to play with the man’s daughter and was unaware that he was not home when the incident occurred last evening. An FIR has been registered against the accused, Harminder Singh, alias Rimpy (45), at the Basti Bawa Khel police station here under various sections of the IPC and POCSO Acts.
People have questioned the police’s role in the incident. Following a complaint from the girl’s parents, police officers from the local outpost searched the alleged perpetrator’s house but were unable to find the body, despite people reminding them that the house was suspected to contain a body. The body was later recovered from the same house. Police said the accused is a school bus driver and the father of two daughters. His wife had gone to visit relatives in Ludhiana on Saturday. Amid angry protests, Basti Bawa Khel police arrived at the colony late at night and rescued and arrested the accused, who was being assaulted by angry locals.

ASI Suspended
Jalandhar police have suspended ASI Mangat Ram of the Leather Complex police post for negligence in duty. He was in charge of the team that first visited the victim’s home.