Daijiworld Media Network - Rudrapur

Rudrapur, Sep 18: In a shocking crime, the body of a 14-year-old girl was found in a sugarcane field in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, triggering widespread outrage.

According to police, the Class 8 student had gone out of her home on Tuesday evening to collect fodder for cattle when she was waylaid by a 20-year-old youth from the same village. The accused allegedly dragged her into the nearby field, raped her, and then murdered her. The victim’s body bore multiple stab wounds and a fractured hand.

The gruesome incident came to light when family members began searching for the girl and later found her lifeless body about 150 meters from their house.

Acting swiftly, the police launched an investigation and arrested the accused on Wednesday. He has been booked under sections of rape, murder, and the POCSO Act.

Senior officials assured that the case would be taken up on priority and a fast-track trial would be pursued. Locals have demanded the harshest punishment for the accused, describing the crime as “inhuman and barbaric.”