Six arrested over mob violence in Darbhanga

Tragic Discovery Ignites Community Fury

A six-year-old girl vanished while playing with other children in a quiet neighborhood in Darbhanga on Saturday evening, sending her family into a frantic search that lasted through the night.

Her body was later discovered near a pond on the village outskirts, bearing signs of a horrific rape and murder that shocked the entire community. The brutal nature of the crime quickly spread through the area, turning grief into widespread outrage among residents who had long considered the locality safe for children.

Police from the University station responded immediately, securing the scene and sending the body for post-mortem examination to gather crucial evidence. Initial investigations pointed to a neighbor as the prime suspect, with children who were playing with the victim providing key descriptions that matched footage from nearby CCTV cameras.

Violent Protests Erupt on the Streets

By Sunday morning, hundreds of angry locals gathered at Kadirabad Chowk and near the Sundarpur Bela Durga Temple, blocking the main road with bamboo barricades and demanding immediate justice for the child.

The demonstration escalated rapidly as the mob set an auto-rickshaw ablaze, vandalized shops including one owned by the suspect's father, and pelted stones at responding police officers. Several officials, including the sub-divisional magistrate, sustained injuries during the clashes, prompting authorities to deploy additional forces from neighboring stations and resort to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Protesters chanted slogans against the administration, calling for the accused to be handed over to them, reflecting deep frustration over recurring safety concerns for children in the region. The unrest disrupted normal life, with fires raging and vehicles damaged, but heavy police presence eventually restored order by late Sunday.

“The public anger is understandable, but the law must take its course. We cannot hand over the accused to the mob; the situation is now under control, and we are committed to a thorough investigation,” Darbhanga SSP Jagunath Raddi told reporters at the scene.

Police Swift Action and Ongoing Probe

Late Sunday night, under the leadership of SDM Vikas Kumar and SDPO Rajiv Kumar, police raided the Sundarpur Bela area, arresting six youths directly involved in the vandalism and stone-pelting.

The prime suspect, 22-year-old Vikas Mahto, was also taken into custody from his residence, where bloodstains were found on his clothes, further strengthening the case against him. An FIR was registered against around 30 named individuals and up to 200 unidentified persons under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act for rioting, arson, and disrupting public order.

Authorities are using video footage circulating on social media to identify and apprehend remaining culprits, with raids continuing across the district. Forensic teams and the cyber cell have been roped in to build a watertight case, and the administration has promised a fast-track trial to deliver justice swiftly. District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar and SSP Raddi reassured the public that all involved would face the strictest penalties.

University police station SHO Sudhir Kumar urged residents to maintain peace and avoid taking the law into their own hands, emphasizing that legal processes would ensure accountability. Normalcy has returned to Darbhanga, but the incident has reignited debates on child safety measures in Bihar.

In summary, the rape and murder of a young girl in Darbhanga triggered intense mob violence leading to six arrests, alongside the capture of the main accused, as police work to prevent further unrest and secure convictions through a robust investigation.