PURVI CHAMPARAN, Feb 12: A high-level investigation has been launched into the murder of a 13-year-old Nepali girl in Kundawa Chainpur Bazar of East Champaran, an Indian district bordering Nepal. A special investigation team formed by the East Champaran District Police Office, under the leadership of Deputy Superintendent of Police Shivendra Kumar Anubhavi, on Thursday conducted a special investigation into the area where the incident took place.

After public outrage, a separate team led by Superintendent of Police Bina Kumari of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) from Patna, the capital of Bihar state of India, conducted an on-site investigation last Tuesday. According to preliminary information provided by the police, the investigation so far has found evidence to support the allegation that the girl was killed after being raped and burnt with the involvement of local police Chief Sanjeev Ranjan to cover the traces of crime.

An audio clip that went viral on social media highlighted the issue of cremation. Superintendent of Police (SP) Navin Chandra Jha of the Motihari Police office suspended the police chief and took control of the investigation.

The video of the teenager's body being cremated surfaced on social media and drew the attention of the stakeholders in Bihar’s capital. The girl's father, a resident of Bardibas Municipality, Nepal, had been living in the bordering Kundawa Chainpur Bazar for employment for the past seven years. He used to go to the market in the afternoon to sell tea and was a watchman at the market at night.

The incident took place on January 21 when his wife went to her village and he went out, leaving his daughter and son at home.

“My daughter and son Harish were at home. Harish had gone to the market. On his way back from the market, his landlord Siyaram Sah tried to stop him from going into the house. The son didn’t listen to him and went straight into the room. He saw his sister lying dead on the ground,” the written statement of the girl’s father, read, “After witnessing the scene, Harish went out to look for me crying and shouting. I was shocked when he came to the fish market and told me about the incident."

It is said that four youths living in the same place were directly involved in the incident.

 
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