14 cops hurt as people throw stones seeking custody of murder accused

At least 14 police personnel were injured after a group of persons allegedly pelted them with stones demanding the custody of a man, who was arrested for sexually assaulting and killing a six-year-old girl at Jamner in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, police said on Friday.

The incident of stone-pelting occurred around 9.30 pm on Thursday outside the Jamner police station, they said.

"A six-year-old girl was allegedly abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered at Chinchkheda Shivar village in Jamner on the night of June 11. The accused person had fled away from the spot taking advantage of darkness," an official said.

"The police had launched a search for the accused, who was finally arrested on Thursday. But after getting information about his arrest, the deceased girl's family members, their relatives and local residents gathered outside the police station demanding that the accused be handed over to them so that they can punish him for the heinous crime," he said. The people started agitating outside the police station. Some time later, they learnt that the police shifted the accused person to a safer place. This angered the crowd and some of them started hurling stones at the police station, he added.

"A few members of the group even attacked the police and damaged the public property by indulging in arson," the police official said. At least 14 police personnel, including an inspector, were injured in the incident, he said. The police used force to disperse the crowd, he said, adding that police personnel were deployed in large numbers after the incident.