Ranchi Foster Father and Brother Arrested for 13-Year-Old Girl's Murder

Ranchi: Almost 20 days after a 13-year-old girl from Jakhratand village in Ranchi district was murdered on March 13, her foster brother and father have been arrested, police said.The accused were identiifed as Rahul Pathak and his father Subodh, a priest.The girl’s father, who is a widower and physically challenged, gave away the girl to Subodh when she was five-year old. But no legal adoption process was followed, police added.On April 2, villagers alerted the police upon seeing some post-death rituals being performed at the house. Police tried to trace the girl at her real parents’ native place, Aurangabad in Bihar.

A forensic team also visited Subodh’s house.SP (rural) Praveen Pushkar said, “During interrogation, Subodh and Rahul confessed to the murder while claiming that the girl was in a relationship with Rahul’s brother-in-law. Rahul feared that it would have brought shame to the family.”There were frequent quarrels over the issue. On March 13, Rahul beat up the victim and strangulated her to death after another argument, the SP said.

A doctor, who was called to the house, declared her dead and provided an ambulance to the duo to dispose of the body. A hunt is under way for him, SP added.Police said the family took the body to Gaya for the last rites. A prayer meet was held at Jakhratand.Police have, however, not termed the murder as a case of honour killing. Probe has revealed that Rahul feared that his father could have transferred his property to the girl.