The horrific killing of a 14-year-old girl has sent shockwaves through Rajasthan and has ignited waves of outrage amid intense political sparring months before an election.
The young girl's burnt remains were found in a brick kiln in Bhilwara on Wednesday. The crime was discovered early this morning, hours after the teen left home to graze goats with her mother. She was allegedly separated from her mother and vanished.
When she didn't return, her family and villagers spread out to look for her and searched all night until they found her remains in a brick kiln at a field near her home in the early hours of Thursday. The police found bones, a silver anklet and shoes in the still-burning remains.
The police suspect the girl was gang-raped before she was killed. Three local men, who were caught at the spot, were taken into custody and are being questioned.
Hundreds of angry villagers gathered at the spot and protested, demanding justice and quick arrests. They alleged that the police responded belatedly to their complaint about the girl going missing yesterday and asked for her ID and a birth certificate.
As politics escalates ahead of polls in Rajasthan later this year, BJP leaders, including a former minister, arrived at the spot and joined in the protests.
The BJP has been targeting the state's ruling Congress and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over recent crimes against women and girls in Rajasthan.
On July 14, a girl was shot, splashed with acid and thrown into a well in Kaurali. Her family said the police didn't react to their complaint.
Three days later in Jodhpur, a girl was allegedly gang-raped on the university campus.
In Jodhpur, on July 19, four members of a family, including a baby, were killed and their bodies were set on fire.
Chief Minister Gehlot has hit back at his critics, citing data to say BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have the highest number of murders and crimes against women. He also said Assam, Delhi and Haryana topped the list, according to the National Crime Records Bureau.
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