Suspect in Haryana rape case found dead

Police in Haryana have been left baffled after recovering the body of a 19-year-old youth who was until now the prime suspect in the rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl in Kurukshetra district.Officials said yesterday that the body of Gulshan, who was considered the prime suspect in the killing of the Class 10 student, was found on Tuesday night from the Bhakra irrigation canal near Jyotisar in Kurukshetra district, about 110km from Chandigarh.The body was in a decomposed state.Gulshan’s name was mentioned in the ‘first information report’ filed by the police as an accused.Family members of the dead teenager yesterday launched a protest outside the office of the Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Abhishek Garg demanding justice.Garg confirmed the recovery of Gulshan’s body. “We are investigating the murders,” he said.Asked about allegations by the girl’s family against the local police for not acting swiftly when the complaint was lodged, Garg said the Station House Officer concerned has been suspended.The girl was brutally assaulted, and some of the vital organs had ruptured, police had said earlier. The incident triggered nationwide outrage, with the opposition Congress slamming Chief Minister Manohar Khattar’s government over its alleged failure to ensure the safety and security of women.Police had earlier said they believe the number of accused in the crime could be more than one. However, with the body of the youth being found, many questions arise about how the girl reached nearly 100km away from her home in Jind district where her body was found. “It is an ongoing investigation. We have also detained a few persons. Our teams are investigating the case from all angles,” Garg said.The shocking incident came close on the heels of another incident last month, in which a six-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed in Haryana’s Uklana area in Hisar district.