Twist in Haryana rape-murder; body of suspect found

The Haryana Police has been left baffled after recovering the body of a 19-year-old youth who was until now the prime suspect in the rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl in Kurukshetra district.

Police said on Wednesday that the body of Gulshan, who was considered the prime suspect in the killing of the Class 10 student, was found on Tuesday night from the Bhakra irrigation canal near Jyotisar in Kurukshetra district, about 110 km from here.

The body was in a decomposed state.

Gulshan's name was mentioned in the FIR as an accused.

Family members of the deceased youth on Wednesday started a protest outside the office of the Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Abhishek Garg demanding justice.

Garg confirmed the recovery of Gulshan's body. "We are investigating the murders," he said.

Police sources said they could not rule out "honour killing" as a reason behind the twin murders.

The Haryana Police, based on the complaint of the victim girl's family, had listed Gulshan, a Class 12 student, as the prime suspect in the kidnapping, rape and murder of the girl.

Some people were even detained for questioning and raids were conducted to nab Gulshan.

The girl had gone for her tuition class on January 9 and went missing. Her half-naked body was found near a canal in Jind district on Saturday.

Police and forensic officials said the girl was brutally raped and inflicted wounds on her private parts and internal organs. She was murdered by her tormentors.

Haryana has been rocked with five incidents of rape and gang-rape in the past four days. These were reported from Kurukshetra/Jind, Panipat, Pinjore and Faridabad (two). In three of these, the victims were brutally murdered.

--IANS

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