Bihar/New Delhi: The death of a minor girl in Bihar’s Saran district has triggered conflicting narratives between her family and the police, with the girl’s sibling alleging that five men threw her into a well, while investigators maintain that post-mortem findings point to drowning, and the precise circumstances of the fall remain unclear.
The incident occurred on March 11 in Sheetalpatti village under Derni police station in the Sonepur subdivision.
According to the National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB), four men from the Paswan community, surnamed Manjhi, have been arrested in connection with the death, amid allegations of rape and murder.
Police said they received information around 4:45 pm that the minor girl had died under suspicious circumstances. Villagers had reportedly retrieved the body from the well and placed it on the edge before police arrived.
During the inquest, the girl’s mother and a villager initially stated that the girl had fallen into the well. The body was sent to Sadar Hospital, Chhapra for a post-mortem. Police said the report found no external injuries, and doctors recorded asphyxia due to drowning as the cause of death.
Forensic samples including vaginal swabs, pubic hair, blood, fingernail scrapings, and clothing—have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Muzaffarpur for further analysis as part of the ongoing investigation under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Witness statements recorded during the investigation indicate that a woman living near the well saw the girl lying near a broken structure before the mother and sister arrived. The witness claimed that Kamlesh Manjhi (alias Rajkeshor Manjhi) and two other men were present, and fled when villagers gathered. Another nearby villager reportedly gave a similar account.
Nearly 24 hours after the incident, the girl’s mother filed a written complaint at the SC/ST police station, Sonepur. Based on her complaint, police registered a case against five named accused.
While police maintain that the exact circumstances of the girl’s fall remain undetermined, the family insists the death was deliberate. Speaking to reporters, the mother said, “We saw these men while they were throwing her into the well.”
The girl’s elder sister told Manish Kashyap, journalist and Jan Suraj party leader, that she recognized all the accused. “My sister had just appeared in her board exam. I recognised all the men who were there,” she said.
The victim’s father, working in Gujarat, was informed about the incident roughly an hour after it occurred. The family’s younger son, a Class 6 student, said, “We want justice. The accused should be hanged.”
Police confirmed that the accused have been taken into custody and that questioning and forensic analysis are ongoing. Authorities are examining all aspects of the case, including the family’s allegations, as they await further laboratory results from Muzaffarpur.
With post-mortem findings indicating drowning but family members insisting they witnessed the girl being thrown, the investigation continues amid public attention and demands for justice.
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