Gujarat: Nine-year-old girl raped, tortured for 8 days in Surat; autopsy reveals 86 injury marks

India has been shaken by a series of violent crimes against women and children. After an eight-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua who was drugged and raped repeatedly before being murdered, a similar incident has been reported in Surat. Police on Sunday found a body of a nine-year-old girl in Surat with 86 injury marks.

The victim's injured body was recovered from a cricket ground in Bhestan area of Surat on April 6.

The postmortem report revealed that the girl was raped, tortured for at least eight days. She was then strangled to death. However, the identity of the victim was not known yet and none of her family has claimed the body.

According to Ganesh Govekar, Forensic Head, Civil Hospital, said, ''The girl's body had 86 injury marks including ones on her private parts. Samples have been taken for forensic test to ascertain whether she was drugged or not.''

Most injuries were apparently caused by a wooden-weapon, officials said.

Meanwhile, police have registered a case of rape and also booked the unidentified accused under The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

A reward of Rs 20,000 has been announced for anyone providing information about the girl or her family. Police are now going through the list of missing persons to see if the victim fits any profile.