Hubballi, Apr 13 (PTI): A 5-year-old girl child was allegedly kidnapped and killed by a man here on Sunday, police said.

 

The incident occurred at the Ashok Nagar police station limits here and the body was found in an abandoned building, they said.

Though there are reports of sexual assault, police have not confirmed it, and have said that medical examination and investigations are underway.

Outraged by the incident, a large number of residents from the locality gathered in front of Ashok Nagar police station and staged a protest, demanding justice.

"The complaint is being taken from the parents of a girl and necessary legal action will follow," Police Commissioner of Hubballi-Dharwad N Shashi Kumar told reporters here.

Victim's family hails from Koppal district. Her mother worked as a house maid and as an assistant at a beauty parlor while her father worked as a painter, he said.

"The mother had taken her daughter for work, as she was working at the houses in the locality. An unidentified man had taken the girl from there. On searching, the girl was found in the bathroom of a small sheet roofed building in front of the House from where she had gone missing. She was immediately shifted to hospital, where she was declared brought dead," he said.

The Commissioner said, the culprit will be nabbed at the earliest and necessary legal action will be taken.

Responding to a question on the accused, he said, CCTV footage is being checked, once the identity of the accused is established, his whereabouts and other details can be ascertained and necessary action will be taken.

 

Asked was there any rape attempt or sexual assault, he said, "No information for now. Cause of death, was there any kind of assault on the girl child will all be verified," he said.

Police have requested agitators to maintain peace and allow police to do their job and take necessary action.

Get all the latest, breaking news from Karnataka in a single click. CLICK HERE to get all the latest news from Karnataka.

 

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



United Nations (PTI): Targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable", India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish has said.

Harish's remarks at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows came days after an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman.

Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike.

In a post on X on Sunday, Harish said that at the UNECOSOC meeting, he shared India's approach to the recent energy and fertiliser crisis caused by the West Asia conflict.

"A combination of short-term and structural measures alongside international cooperation are essential to respond to the crisis," he said.

"Reiterated that targeting of commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable. International law in this regard must be fully respected," he added.

The attack on the India-flagged vessel on May 13 took place amid the fragile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway close to the coast of Oman through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass.

It has been severely disrupted by the conflict in West Asia that started on February 28, with the US and Israel launching joint attacks on Iran, triggering retaliatory strikes.

Earlier, India had described the attack as "unacceptable".

At least two other Indian-flagged ships have been attacked since the conflict broke out.

According to the UNECOSOC website, the meeting, which took place on Friday, focused on “Safeguarding energy and supply flows: Supporting global development through international cooperation”.