Lucknow: The Bhadohi police in Uttar Pradesh has decided to send the body of a 17-year-old girl who was found dead Wednesday for a second post mortem on the request of her family members. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the case, the police said.
The body of the girl, who was reported missing on 17 August, was fished out of Varuna river in Bhadohi Wednesday. Her face and upper portion of the body were found to have been burnt with acid. While the police had earlier said it appeared she was murdered and the accused tried to burn her face to hide identity, they said Thursday the cause of her death was drowning, citing the post mortem report.
After the body was found, the girl’s parents had suspected that she had been murdered after rape. On the request of her parents, the police have now sent the body for a second post mortem.
Speaking to ThePrint, Bhadohi Additonal Superintendent of Police Ravindra Kumar Verma said, “On social media, many people are posting that it was a brutal rape. But the post mortem report is not confirming that. On the request of the family, we have sent the body for another post mortem.”
He added, “People should not spread fake news. Investigation is going on. We will inform media about the updates.”
Also read: 13-year-old girl raped, body found near field in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri, 2 arrested
First post mortem says she died of drowning
At a press conference Thursday, SP Ram Badan Singh said, “The girl went missing on 17 August. We have arrested two persons on the complaint of their family. Her body was recovered from the Varuna river Wednesday afternoon, but the post mortem report does not say she was raped. She died because of drowning.”
Singh had earlier told the local media that the state of the body suggested she could have been murdered and her face and upper part of the body were burnt to hide her identity.
On Thursday, however, he said the cause of death was drawing — as suggested in the post mortem report prepared by a panel of two government doctors.
ASP Verma said the second post mortem will be done by a panel of five government doctors.
The girl lived in a village in Dhaurahra area of the district. She had gone to graze cattle Monday but did not return, after which the police were informed. Her body was recovered Wednesday afternoon.
The girl’s family members said she could have been raped and murdered, and suspected the role of some villagers in the crime. In his complaint to the police, the girl’s father named a local brick kiln owner and some others.
The police said they are investigating the matter and are on the lookout for all those named in the complaint. On Wednesday, local residents staged a protest on the Bhadohi-Jaunpur road demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, and did not initially allow the police to take the body out of the river.
@bhadohipolice https://t.co/HDTNr8aYIZ@CMOfficeUP @AwasthiAwanishK @uppolice @adgzonevaranasi @digmirzapur pic.twitter.com/OWDJBQEbho
— BHADOHI POLICE (@bhadohipolice) August 20, 2020
Also read: Lakhimpur Kheri rape-murder victim’s eyes weren’t gouged out, tongue not chopped — UP Police