Muzaffarpur cousins’ death: Murder suspected

Patna: The death of two minor cousin sisters in Muzaffarpur took a grim turn on Thursday after the preliminary post-mortem report indicated murder, while police continued to suspect drowning.The girls — Mausam Kumari, 12, and Ruchi Kumari, 7 — had gone missing from Minapur on May 11. Their bodies were recovered near a brick kiln under Rampur Hari police station limits on May 13 with multiple injury marks.Doctors found signs pointing towards rape and murder. The elder girl had blood stains on her private parts and a vaginal swab was preserved. Doctors said both girls were strangled before their throats were slit. The elder girl’s fingers were chopped, her jaw dislocated and ribs fractured.Police, however, cited CCTV footage showing the girls heading towards a water-filled pit and suspected accidental drowning. Officials said some injuries might have been caused by animal bites after the bodies surfaced.The family rejected the police theory.“Someone picked them up, killed them and dumped them near the brick kiln,” the elder girl’s mother said.“We want life for life. Whoever did this should be hanged,” she added.DSP (East)-1 Alay Vats said an FIR had been registered against unknown persons and investigations were underway into all possible angles, including sexual assault and personal enmity.