The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about the abduction, rape and murder of a minor girl and the death of the arrested accused in a police encounter in Hubballi, Karnataka. The incident reportedly took place April 14.
The commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious violation of the human rights of the victim minor girl, as well as that of the arrested suspected perpetrator, who was killed in an alleged encounter by Karnataka Police.
Hence, the commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, Government of Karnataka, asking them to submit a detailed report on the matter within four weeks. The report should include the post-mortem examination and the Magisterial Enquiry Reports of both the deceased, as instructed by NHRC.
Abduction, rape-murder of 5-year-old girl
According to a media report published on April 14 this year, a five-year-old girl was strangled to death after an attempted rape in Karnataka’s Hubballi. The accused, Ritesh Kumar from Bihar, lured the child into a shed and tried to sexually assault her. When locals heard the child scream, they rushed to the scene, but by then, Ritesh had strangled her and fled.
He was later identified through CCTV footage that showed him carrying the girl away while she was playing in front of her house. Soon after the girl’s body was recovered from the bathroom, angry residents protested outside Ashok Nagar Police Station, demanding the arrest of the accused.
Death of accused in alleged police encounter
Reportedly, the accused Ritesh was nabbed by the police within hours of the incident. The police booked him under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act and for murder. During questioning, Ritesh reportedly confessed to the crime.
According to Hubballi Police Commissioner Shashi Kumar, the accused attacked police officers with stones when taken to his place of residence to retrieve documents and verify his identity. A woman sub-inspector fired a warning shot in the air, and when he did not stop, multiple rounds were fired. He sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and back and later died at the hospital.
One sub-inspector and two police personnel were also injured during the altercation and are undergoing treatment. Police said Ritesh had been living in Hubballi for nearly three months, working at construction sites and hotels, and had been away from his native Patna for several years. A team has been sent to Bihar to gather more information on his background.
