Amid tears, Hubballi girl laid to rest; govt announces Rs 10L compensation to kin

Hubballi: The five-year-old girl who was tortured and murdered by a migrant labourer on Sunday was laid to rest at Devangpet graveyard here on Monday.

After a postmortem at KMC-RI, the victim’s body was handed over to the family members. Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed at the victim’s house in Ashok Nagar police station limits where a large number of people gathered to pay their last respects to the little one.

The girl, while playing in the house verandah, was kidnapped and murdered by Ritesh Kumar, a native of Bihar, in a shed on Sunday. A few locals caught the accused and handed him over to the police. Residents and the members of various organisations staged a protest demanding instant justice. By the evening, the police shot dead the accused after he attacked them during the spot mahazar.

District Minister Santosh Lad visited KMC-RI on Monday morning and consoled the family members of the victim. 

Lad also gathered information from Deputy Commissioner Divya Prabhu G R J and Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar. 

Speaking to reporters, Lad said that such actions reflect decline in moral values in society. The entire community must hang its head in shame on the horrific incident.

Replying to a question, Lad said that he was not aware whether the accused consumed drugs before committing the crime.

The minister, however, said that psychopaths were often behind such heinous acts. He also urged parents to exercise caution and ensure that their children were not left unsupervised, especially in public spaces. 

The state government has already announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the kin of the victim. Lad said that he will approach the chief minister for additional support and compensation. 

In addition, the minister inquired about the health of the police officers injured in the line of duty during the operation.

‘Accused attacked cops’

Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner N Shashi Kumar visited the spot, where the accused was shot dead by the Ashok Nagar police, near Raynal Bridge underpass, off Hubballi on Monday.

The police commissioner said the accused did not have any identity proof and contact number.

“Therefore, the police took the accused to the abandoned house, where he stayed, to establish his identity. During the spot mahazar, the accused attacked the police, prompting the police to fire at him. He suffered bullet injuries in his leg and back. Doctors at KMC-RI declared him brought dead.”

Since there are no claimants, the body has been kept at mortuary. A team has been sent to Bihar to trace the accused’s relatives, the police said.