Missing minor girl killed in road accident

A 16-year-old girl who was reported missing after not returning from school in Bannerghatta, was later killed in a road accident on Hosakote Road recently

Based on a complaint filed by the father of the victim, the Bannerghatta police arrested four youth, including a minor, on Monday charging them under various sections of the POCSO Act and for death due to negligence and rash and negligent riding.

The deceased was a class 9 student at a government school in Bannerghatta. The accused, aged between 18 and 19, were employed in local private jobs, said the police.

According to the police, the girl never returned from school on October 24 and later went along with the accused on two motorcycles. When she did not return, her parents filed a missing complaint at the Bannerghatta police station.

Later that day, the police were alerted about an accident near Hosakote. An investigation revealed that one of the accused lost control of his bike and hit a road median, causing the girl riding pillion to fall. She was subsequently run over by another vehicle and died on the spot.

Acting on the parents’ complaint, the police arrested the four accused on Monday.

A probe also revealed no evidence of sexual assault. However, since the victim was a minor, a POCSO case has been registered, and further action will be initiated based on the post-mortem and medical examination reports, the police said.