Jharkhand: People stage protests over sexual assault of 16-year-old girl

Medininagar (Jharkhand): People staged massive protests here on Friday against the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl student in Jharkhand's Palamu district, a senior police officer said.

Led by former BSP legislator Shivpujan Mehta, hundreds of people took part in the protests in Pipra and Hariharganj police station areas for eight hours.

Chatarpur sub-divisional police officer Awadh Yadav said, "A sexual assault case was registered based on the statement of the victim's paternal aunt, and a hunt was launched to apprehend the perpetrator." Both parents of the victim, student of a residential school, are not alive.

Chatarpur SDO Ashish Gangwar, along with senior officials and police force, visited both the areas where the protests took place.

The SDPO said, "The incident took place on Thursday, and the victim was sent to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital, Medininagar, for a check-up." The report is awaited, he added.

The school's warden told police that the victim had informed a teacher she was going to pick up ration with a person known to her and left the institute in the morning. When she returned in the afternoon, she was in an inebriated state, the warden added.

The SDPO suspected the involvement of a youth, a resident of Sultani, who had dropped her off in an SUV.

No arrests have been made yet, and further investigation is underway, the SDPO added.