Surat/Gandhinagar, April 16: The Gujarat Police have scanned the data of as many as 8,000 missing girls to identify a nine-year-old girl in Surat whose body was found with 86 injury marks, including on her private parts, Minister Pradeep Singh Jadeja said on Monday.
She is believed to have been kidnapped, tortured and raped before being dumped near a cricket ground in Bhestan area of Surat on April 6. Her autopsy, which went on for several hours, revealed that the girl was raped and tortured for at least eight days.
Minister of State for Home Jadeja told reporters in Gandhinagar: "She was strangled to death and the post mortem indicated that the girl was tortured and raped for at least eight days."
The girl has not been identified and nobody has come forward to claim the body.
He said the Surat Crime Branch was leaving no stone unturned to establish her identity. "The police have scanned details of 8,000 missing girls and it seems she is from outside the state and was dumped here after committing the crime."
Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said there was no sign of struggle at the spot where her body was recovered which indicated the crime was committed elsewhere. "We are zeroing in on missing girls from Odisha and West Bengal, many of whom come here as migrant labourers," Sharma said.
Surat Civil Hospital's Forensic Sciences Laboratory head Ganesh Govekar said: "The girl's body had 86 injury marks including some on her private parts. Samples have been taken for forensic test to ascertain whether she was drugged or not."
Police Inspector B.K. Jhala said the police registered a case of rape and also booked the unidentified accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. A reward of Rs 20,000 has been announced for anyone providing information about the girl or her family.
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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
