Overview
- Police in Hazaribagh detained several people on Tuesday and said they are close to solving the case, with arrests expected soon.
- After taking the case up on Monday, the Jharkhand High Court criticized the police’s “lethargic attitude,” ordered affidavits, and noted that key samples had not been sent to the forensic lab.
- A three-member Special Investigation Team is leading the probe with a one-week reporting deadline while investigators await forensic and autopsy findings.
- Following Monday’s shutdown in Hazaribagh led by local residents and BJP leaders, the party warned of a statewide bandh on April 3 if no arrests are made.
- The 12-year-old disappeared during a Ram Navami Mangla procession on March 24 and was found dead the next day, and the family’s FIR alleging abduction, rape, and murder has fueled public anger and political pressure on the state.