Patna, May 25 (IANS) A 10-year-old girl was allegedly gang raped and murdered near her school by five youths in Bihar’s Saran district, the police said.

The incident occurred on Saturday near Bhatkeshri village under the jurisdiction of Jalalpur police station.

The victim, a Class 5 student of a primary school, was discovered around 200 metres from the school premises.

All the accused persons allegedly took the victim behind the bushes and gang raped her one by one. After the sexual assault, they also murdered the girl.

Local villagers, after seeing a group of youths fleeing the area, raised the alarm immediately.

Soon after, a large crowd gathered at the spot and managed to apprehend the accused.

They have also identified the girl and informed the family and local police about the incident.

With the help of villagers, district police arrested all five accused on the spot.

“We have called for a forensic team to collect the evidence from the scene to assist in the investigation,” said Kumar Ashish, Saran Superintendent of Police (SP).

Ensuring the sensitivity of the incident, senior officials, including Saran Range Director Inspector General Nilesh Kumar, SP Kumar Ashish, Rural SP Shikhar Chaudhary, and Deputy Sub-Inspector Rajkumar, along with teams from Jalalpur and Baniyapur police stations, visited the site and conducted a thorough inquiry.

Speaking on the case, the Saran SP confirmed that all five accused have been arrested.

“We have lodged an FIR under POCSO Act and murder in Jalalpur police station and arrested all five accused. They have confessed to the crime. We have assured the girl’s family that a speedy trial will be conducted in this case and bring justice to them,” SP Ashish said.

He also added that financial assistance will be provided to the girl’s family.

“We have recovered the girl’s body and sent it for the post-mortem,” he said.

The incident has sparked concern in the community, with locals demanding capital punishment for those involved.

–IANS

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