Raj: Cong forms panel to gather facts on murder of Dalit girl in Bhilwara

BHILWARA: The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) on Thursday announced the formation of a face-finding committee in the wake of the murder of a female first-year Dalit student in the Barsani village of Bhilwara district.

The announcement of the probe team assumes significance, as it signals the intent of the grand old party to pile early pressure on the BJP government on the issue of law and order.

The BJP had not only targeted the previous Congress government on law and order but also made it a key plank for the Assembly elections last year.

"The brutal murder of a first-year female Dalit student has been reported widely and has even come out in the newspapers. She was found with her throat slit at Barsani village in the Asind area of Bhilwara district. We have formed a three-member committee to gather facts on this unfortunate incident and send a report to the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee," read an official release by the Congress's state unit on Thursday.

The order stated further that the members of the committee will visit Bhilwara on Friday, January 12, and send a report to the state party unit, listing the probable reasons for the murder, within two days.

The probe panel comprises Congress MLA and PCC vice president Ghanshyam Mehar, general secretary Prashant Bairwa and Rajasthan Mahila Congress president Rakhi Gautam.

The incident took place at Barsani village in the Shabhugarh police station of Bhilwara district.

A special team was formed on the instructions of deputy SP Shyam Singh.

Sharing details of the incident, the DSP said an 18-year-old girl from Barsani village was found with her throat slit.

"We were informed that a college student was found with her throat slit in the Barsani village. I, along with other senior police officers and the dog squad visited the spot and launched an investigation. We have already detained two youths with the help of the cyber cell, in connection with the murder. They are being questioned for further leads," the DSP told ANI earlier.

According to the police, the detained suspects were identified as Kailash and Govind. Both are residents of Rajasthan's Moter village.

They said the girl was fast asleep at her residence when two youths sneaked in and killed her.

Earlier, weighing in on the possible motive for the crime, the state police, in a statement, said the crime was possibly the fallout of a dispute between the accused and the victim. The sleuths added that they suspect that one of the accused was having an affair with the victim and revenge appears to have been the primary motive for the crime.

The victim's father lodged a complaint based on which a special probe team was formed and a case registered under Sections 458, 460, 302, and 201 of the IPC, police said earlier.