In Bihar's Darbhanga district, a six-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered on Saturday night. Her family was alerted late at night by unusual dog barking, leading to the discovery of her body. The 22-year-old accused, Vikas Mahto, has been arrested, prompting protests on Sunday.
Bihar's Darbhanga district has been shaken by a horrific crime. On Saturday evening, the six-year-old girl had gone to play near a pond with other children. According to police, the other children told them that the accused, Vikas Mahto, dragged her into a dark area. Based on CCTV footage review and identification by the children, Mahto was arrested that night itself.
The family had been searching for the girl since evening when they heard unusual barking from dogs in the locality late at night. She was found lying in a pool of blood near a wall, after which police were informed immediately. Police arrived at the spot and sent the body to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for postmortem. A forensic science laboratory (FSL) team was called to collect evidence from the scene.
On Sunday, angry residents blocked roads, burnt tyres, and pelted stones in protest, prompting police to use lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Additional forces were deployed to control the situation. Darbhanga District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar confirmed the arrest and stated, “We received information at night that the body of a six-year-old girl had been found, following which an investigation was conducted. It was a case of rape and murder, and the accused was arrested during the night itself.”
Describing the crime as “extremely inhuman,” he said discussions had been held with the family. A medical board has been constituted at DMCH for the postmortem. Kumar added, “This is a very heinous crime, and we will request the district judge to place the case under a speedy trial with day-to-day hearings so that a conviction can be ensured within the next two months.” The accused was a labourer with no known criminal history. An FIR has been registered, and a chargesheet will be filed soon. The situation is now peaceful with adequate police presence.
