Not 19, Dumka murder victim a minor says child welfare panel

New Delhi, Aug 31: The child welfare committee in Jharkhand has said that the girl who was murdered in Dumka was 15 years old and not 19 as stated earlier. The murder of the girl has sent shock waves across the country.

The panel also asked the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (Pocso) charges to be added to the matter.

The incident occurred on August 23 when the accused, identified as Shahrukh, allegedly poured petrol on the victim from outside the window of her room while she was sleeping and set her on fire, police said.

The incident occurred on August 23 when the accused, identified as Shahrukh, allegedly poured petrol on the victim from outside the window of her room while she was sleeping and set her on fire, police said, according to news agency PTI.

The National Commission for Women on Monday said it has written to the Jharkhand Police chief, calling for a fair investigation.

The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Jharkhand's Dumka district has said that the student was around 16 years old as per the class 10 board examination mark sheet and not an adult as claimed by the police. It demanded action against the accused under the POCSO Act.

The High Court of Jharkhand also took suo motu cognisance of the incident on Tuesday and ordered the Director General of Police to file a report.

The BJP has attacked the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led government in the state over the incident.

The JMM, however, accused the BJP leaders of trying to do "communal politics" over the incident and said the state government also wants stringent punishment for the culprit.
Saffron party leaders, including former Jharkhand chief ministers Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi, have demanded that the accused be tried in a fast track court and a compensation of Rs 1 crore and a job should be extended to the next of kin of the woman.

On Tuesday, Marandi claimed that Shahrukh and his friend were inspired by the terrorist organisation "Ansarullah Bangla" which was also responsible for the killings of bloggers in Bangladesh.

In a series of tweets, the BJP leader said, "This Bangladeshi outfit was planned to be banned in 2013 but the Ministry of Home Affairs officially banned them on 25 May 2015." "Ansarullah Bangla Team is a front group for al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent. AB targeting non-Muslim women and converting them to Islam is a Modus-operandi," he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the girl and her family will get justice only when the perpetrator of this cruelty gets the harshest punishment at the earliest.

He also called for creating a safe environment in the country for women.

Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "Jharkhand - The incident of ruthless murder of a girl studying in 12th is heart-wrenching. Criminals should be given punishment at the earliest." The Congress is part of the ruling alliance in the state.