Gaya Murder: Court Sends Father, His Friend to 3-Day Police Remand

While the girl’s family has alleged she was raped, the police say that this is a case of honour killing.

Photo used for representational purpose.

(Photo: The Quint)

The Patna court on Wednesday, 16 January, sent two of the prime accused in the alleged rape and murder of a 16-year-old in Gaya on a three-day police remand, reported Firstpost.

The father of the girl, Turaj Prasad Patwa, and his friend Leela Patwa are the two prime accused in the case. The two have been accused of hatching a conspiracy to get rid of the minor girl, a police officer involved in the investigation said.

The teenager from Manpur village was found beheaded on Sunday, 6 January. Her body was found in a decomposed state, with acid burns on her face and deep wounds on her chest, reported NDTV.

The court allowed the police to conduct a narco test on the victim’s father, Turaj, her mother Asha Devi and sister Bharti, as well as on the other accused Leela.

A CID team has also been sent to Gaya to assist in the investigation. “Scientific evidence is being collected to ascertain the cause of the tragic incident," ADGP (law and order) Alok Raj said, according to Firstpost.

A team of forensic experts from Patna have collected samples from Leela’s house. The investigation officer said that the bloodstain will be matched with that of the victim and sent for a DNA test.

However, the autopsy report revealed that it was not a case of rape. The Bihar police Thursday, ruled out rape but said the case remained “open-ended,” according to The Indian Express.

The victim’s mother has refused to undergo a narco-analysis test, claiming that she does not have faith in the district police. However, she has reiterated that a thorough investigation by the central investigation agency is preferable.

CPI-ML workers echoed the demand for a CBI probe into the case, with hundreds of workers protesting in Patna on Wednesday. The leaders accused the local police of framing the victim’s family and giving it a different colour altogether, according to Firstpost.

The Patwa Weavers Association extended their solidarity to the accused and decided to boycott public meetings and rallies of the ruling alliance in the state. Meanwhile, the BJP MP from Gaya, Hari Manjhi, has asked the agitators to remain calm and assured them that innocent people will not be harassed by the police.

The girl reportedly went missing from her house on 28 December and was last seen on the same day. A local activist told The Quint that the family has filed a missing complaint on 4 January.

According to the police officials, family members of the girl have claimed that she returned home on 31 December, exactly three days after she went missing.

Talking to NDTV, senior police officer Rajiv Mishra said, “Her father sent her away with a man known to the family at around 10 pm on 31 December, the same night.”

The local activist told The Quint that, “The girl was not seen at her home and workplace when she went missing. She was last seen at a different location and her body was found at another different location. Where she lived and the spot where her body was found is within half a kilometre.”

The girl hailed from a poor family of the weaver community and was a student in a government school in Manpur. She was also working to support her family.

(With report from Firstpost, NDTV and Indian Express)