• OCTOBER 24, 2020 

• A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped, killed, and then set on fire in Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
• The girl was the daughter of a migrant labourer who was living in the same village. 
• Two men have been arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act.
• The Chief Minister of Punjab has demanded fast trial exemplary punishment in the case.

About the incident

According to Hindustan Times the six-year-old girl was allegedly raped, killed, and then set on fire. Her half-burnt body was found at the accused’s residence in Hoshiarpur on Thursday. The girl was the daughter of a migrant labourer who was living in the same village. 

The girl’s father said that Gurpreet took the girl to his home where he allegedly raped her. Afterwards, both Gurpreet Singh and Surjit Singh allegedly killed her and burnt her body. 

According to The New Indian Express, the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission Chairperson Tejinder Kaur took suo motu notice of the incident and sought a detailed report from the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Hoshiarpur by October 26.

A 6-year-old girl was allegedly raped, murdered and then set on fire in Tanda block of Jalalpur village, Hoshiarpur in Punjab. She was a daughter of a migrant worker who was living in the same village. The incident has sent a shocker among people in the region and created national headlines. The Chief Minister of Punjab has demanded fast trial and exemplary punishment in the case.

Anger among the residents of the village was palpable as the body of the girl was buried at the village cemetery today. The body of the 6-year-old was found from the cattle sheds of the two suspects, Surpreet Singh and his grandfather Surjit Singh. Both have been arrested by the police two days ago. Two men have been arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the POCSO Act.

When the girl’s body arrived at the village, people gathered outside the suspects’ house. They demanded punishment for them and demanded justice for the young girl.

A large number of people, including representatives of various political and religious organisations, were present at the last rites. Punjab State Women’s Commission Chairperson Manisha Gulati along with SSP Navjot Mahal visited the family. Gulati asked the district police to expedite the probe and submit the challan in court within two to four days. She said the court should be requested to fast-track the hearing so that the perpetrators could be punished at the earliest. The commission and the state government would extend all help to the girl’s family, besides liaising with the district administration to ensure free education of the girl’s sisters, she added.

The state government too rushed in to provide compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the family.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar attacked Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the Hoshiarpur rape incident saying they don’t pay heed to the injustice done to women in the states ruled by their own party.

“The incident of rape and murder of 6-yr-old girl from Bihar, in Hoshiarpur’s Tanda village is very shocking. We demand strict action against culprits. Instead of going on political tours, Rahul Gandhi should visit Tanda (Punjab) and Rajasthan to take cognisance of incidents of crime against women,” Javadekar told ANI.