Girl found dead at stone crusher in Dehradun, angry locals pelt stones

Dehradun: A teen girl was found dead at a stone crusher complex in a small Uttarakhand town here, triggering protests and stone pelting from angry locals who claimed her death was suspicious, officials said Sunday.

The body of the 14-year-old girl was found in a room of the stone crusher complex at Kudkawala on the banks of Suswa river in Dehradun district on Saturday, they said.

Four people working at the stone crusher have been taken into custody and are being questioned.

Police said the situation was brought under control by speaking to the protesters and assured that a special team would probe the girl's death.

According to police, some girls at the facility were allegedly picking up small pieces of iron from the stone crusher premises, which was seen by four people working there.

Following this, the four employees allegedly locked one of the girls in a room and the other girls ran away.

The stone crusher staff also informed the police about the alleged theft. After some time, however, they told the police that the girl has hanged herself in a room, officials said.

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Singh met the family members of the deceased girl at Coronation Hospital here and assured them of a fair investigation of the case and strict action against the culprits.

A special police team has been constituted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (Rishikesh) and under the leadership of Area Officer (Rishikesh), he said.

Singh said that detailed information regarding the incident will be collected through an independent counsellor from other girls present with the teenager. All the physical, electronic evidence and information related to the incident will be scientifically tested, he said.

The SSP said a panel of doctors, including a female doctor, has conducted the post-mortem.

Action will be taken against people trying to mislead on the matter.

Based on a complaint by the family, a case has been registered under relevant sections in Kotwali Doiwala.