Rape, murder in a peaceful state is shocking: Dhumal

Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister P K Dhumal today targeted the Congress government in the state by claiming that those who cannot ensure a crime- free atmosphere do not have the "moral" right to be in office.
The BJP leader's comment comes in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a school girl here which he termed "shocking".
On July 4, a 16-year-old girl had gone missing when she was returning from her school and two days later the police found the minor's body in a forest here.
Initially held as a case of murder by the police, the post-mortem report confirmed rape, sparking outrage and protest in the area.

Expressing serious concern over the deteriorating law and order in the state, Dhumal said, "Heinous crimes such as rape and murder of a minor girl in a remote area of the peaceful state was shocking and an eye opener."
He lashed out at the Congress government, saying, "those who have dreams of becoming chief minister for the seventh time have no moral right to be in office as they have failed to ensure a crime-free atmosphere."

Meanwhile, CPI-M state secretary Sanjay Chauhan said that it is unfortunate that even after five days of such a "brutal" incident, the police are still clueless.

Investigations are in progress but there is no breakthrough yet, Superintendent of Police (Shimla) D W Negi said.
The Shimla Press Club took out a candle march to protest against the incident and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits.