Minor girl found hanging in Odisha’s Keonjhar, gangrape and murder alleged

An incident of alleged gangrape and murder has rocked Odisha’s Keonjhar district, where the body of a 17-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree near her home in the Pandapada police station area on Tuesday.

The disturbing discovery was made early Tuesday morning, hours after the girl went missing the previous night.

According to her family, the minor had gone out late on Monday night to relieve herself but didn’t return. At dawn, locals spotted her body hanging from a tree close to her house.

Her relatives immediately lodged a complaint with the Pandapada police, alleging that she was sexually assaulted and then killed.

Circumstantial Evidence Points to Sexual Assault

The family and local residents believe the girl was gangraped in a nearby abandoned structure before being murdered. 

Marks on the body and the condition of the surroundings have intensified suspicion. Her bloodstained body was found hanging from a tree near the village the next morning, they said.

Bloodstained male clothes and a few other items were also recovered from the scene, leading her family to suspect that she might have been raped and murder.

Police are currently treating the case as one of unnatural death with sexual assault as a suspected motive, pending confirmation from the post-mortem report.

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Public Outrage Sparks Road Blockade

News of the incident triggered public outrage, leading to a road blockade by angry villagers on Tuesday. The protesters demanded immediate arrests of the culprits and swift justice for the victim.

The blockade disrupted traffic and drew attention from district authorities. It was lifted only after Harichandanpur Tehsildar and Telkoi MLA reached the spot and assured the crowd that justice would be delivered without delay.

Two Detained, Autopsy Conducted

Police have detained two individuals for questioning in connection with the incident. “We are waiting for the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause of the death,” said the Keonjhar Sadar SDPO.

Meanwhile, the girl’s body was sent for autopsy at the Keonjhar District Headquarters Hospital on Wednesday morning.

Authorities have indicated that further action will be taken based on medical and forensic findings. Meanwhile, local sources say the area remains tense, with continued demands for a speedy investigation and enhanced safety for girls and women in the region.

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Notably, the incident comes close on the heels of the gang rape of a 20-year-old girl at the Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district, which triggered a nationwide outrage.

With inputs from PTI