Hazaribagh, March 27 (NationPress) The horrific rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Kusumba village, located in the Vishnugarh block of Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district, has ignited a wave of outrage across the state.

For three days, the victim’s family refrained from conducting the final rites, demanding immediate justice and arrests, before finally agreeing to the cremation on Friday evening.

The BJP has reacted strongly, issuing a 24-hour ultimatum to the Hemant Soren government. Aditya Sahu, the state BJP president, along with Hazaribagh MP Manish Jaiswal, visited the grieving family in Kusumba.

The BJP leaders warned that if all suspects are not detained by Saturday, a complete shutdown will take place in Hazaribagh district on Monday. They further threatened that a failure to act would spark a statewide protest, culminating in a call for a 'Jharkhand Bandh'.

The minor’s body was discovered in a thicket near the village on Wednesday.

Locals stated that a 'Mangala procession' was held on Tuesday evening to celebrate the auspicious festival of Ram Navami. The girl had gone to observe the procession but failed to return home by 8 p.m., prompting her family to initiate a search.

Despite a night-long search in the village and adjacent areas, the girl remained missing. Her mutilated body was found the following day, Wednesday.

Initial investigations indicated that the girl was sexually assaulted before being killed. This tragic incident has incited intense anger and protests throughout the district.

During their meeting with the victim’s family, BJP leaders criticized the local administration and questioned the state’s law and order status. They alleged that neither the Deputy Commissioner nor the Superintendent of Police had visited the family following such a brutal crime.

The BJP leaders further asserted that despite more than 72 hours passing, no arrests had been made. They accused senior police officials of merely giving the situation cursory attention.

Former minister Amar Bauri also condemned the government, stating that this incident reflects the administration's lack of sensitivity.

Meanwhile, Vishnugarh SDPO Baijnath Prasad mentioned that significant evidence was collected from the crime scene with the assistance of a forensic team and a dog squad. He asserted that clarity would emerge once the post-mortem report is received and claimed that police are close to capturing the perpetrators.

The SDPO reassured the victim’s family of their safety and stated that arrests would occur soon.

Nevertheless, tensions remain high in the area, with villagers and family members expressing profound anger. The BJP has made it clear that if there are no visible results within 24 hours, protests will escalate with sit-ins at the district headquarters.

A significant police presence has been deployed across the region to uphold law and order.