12-Year-Old Girl Bludgeoned To Death At Home. Sexual Assault Suspected

A 12-year-old girl was found dead in her home in a village in Maharashtra's Wardha district on Wednesday evening, police said on Thursday. Officers suspect she was sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death with a stone. The girl's partially unclothed body was discovered inside the house, police said. 

A stone recovered at the scene is believed to have been used to bludgeon her to death. Wardha Superintendent of Police Saurav Kumar Agrawal said that investigators suspect sexual assault took place before the murder. A medical examination is underway to establish the full circumstances.

Police registered a case on the basis of a complaint from the girl's mother. The FIR names unidentified individuals and includes charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder, rape, sexual violence and house trespass, along with relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Police initially detained three people for questioning. One of them, Rahul Raju Madavi, a 30-year-old farm labourer who worked on land next to the victim's house, has since been arrested in connection with the murder. 

Fourteen special police teams have been formed, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is now handling the case. 

Maharashtra Minister of State for Home (Rural) Pankaj Bhoyar described the killing as extremely condemnable. He said the police acted immediately to register the case and that efforts were continuing to ensure those responsible are held to account.

After the post-mortem examination, when the body was being returned to the family, relatives and local residents protested outside the hospital. A large crowd followed the ambulance, creating a tense atmosphere.

Residents also blocked a road for a period, demanding the death penalty for the accused and a fast-track trial. Police have maintained a presence in the village to prevent any further disturbance. No further arrests have been reported so far.