Her burnt remains were found in a brick kiln, triggering waves of outrage and demands for justice amid intense political sparring ahead of an upcoming election.
In a heart-wrenching incident that has shaken the state of Rajasthan to its core, the brutal killing of a 14-year-old girl has ignited waves of outrage and protests just months before an upcoming election. The young girl's charred remains were discovered in a brick kiln in Bhilwara on Wednesday, sparking a relentless pursuit for justice.
The horrifying crime came to light when the girl failed to return home after leaving with her mother to graze goats. Frantic efforts by her family and villagers to locate her throughout the night ended in the early hours of Thursday when her remains were found in a field near her home. Disturbingly, the police found bones, a silver anklet, and shoes in the still-smoldering ashes, leading them to suspect that she was gang-raped before being murdered, as reported by NDTV.
As news of the gruesome incident spread, hundreds of outraged villagers gathered at the site, demanding swift justice and immediate arrests. Fueled by anger and frustration over what they perceived as a delayed police response to the missing persons' report, the villagers decried the authorities' lack of urgency and empathy.
Amid the growing unrest, the political landscape heated up, with BJP leaders, including a former minister, joining the protests. The incident provided an opportunity for the opposition party to target the ruling Congress and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over recent crimes against women and girls in the state. The BJP seized on the opportunity to criticize the incumbent government's handling of such heinous incidents.
In response to the mounting criticism, Chief Minister Gehlot defended his administration, citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau that revealed BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also grappled with alarming rates of murders and crimes against women. He further pointed out that states like Assam, Delhi, and Haryana topped the list, suggesting that crime against women was not confined to a specific region or political party.