Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Ha
PM Narendra Modi has envisaged construction of lavatory in every house to fulfill his dream project “Clean India.” Even Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has resolved to ensure water, lavatory, road and electricity to every house but the same is yet to be visible on the ground in most of the villages in Bhojpur district allegedly due to apathetic attitude of the district administration.
Though the officials of the Bhojpur district administration claimed to have declared about 75% village in the distric Open Defecation Free (ODF) zone with road, water, power and other basic facilities as envisaged in the ‘Saath Nischay’ of the CM, the ground reality exposes their tall claim.
A 9 year old class II girl student, daughter of Mukhtar Ali, a mason of village Karath, about 70 km south to the Bhojpur district headquarters, Ara, under Tarari police station, was raped and killed in the evening on December 21 when she had gone to attend call of nature after coming from her tuition. Police recovered the half naked body of the girl from a bush at the village in the morning on December 22. The throat of the girl was chopped off with a sharpedged weapon.
Zehana Khatoon, mother of the deceased, said that the life of her daughter would have been saved had the officials of the district administration provided for a lavatory at her house. Had a lavatory been constructed at her house, her daughter would not have gone outside to attend call of nature, she said adding that she had applied for the construction of lavatory at her house about six months ago but to no avail.
Ladli, aunt, and Soni, sister, of the deceased said that they are very poor and depend on daily earning for livelihood hence could not build lavatory at their house. They said the deceased complained of loose motion on December 21 and went to attend the call of nature in the field and returned safely. In the same evening, she once again went to attend the call of nature in the field but this time she did not return. Some drunk miscreants forcibly took her to a secluded place and outraged her modesty. As she recognized them, they slit her throat and threw her body into a bush.
When she did not return, her family members searched for her and found her body half naked body with her throat chopped off. The villagers informed police. A team of the Forensic Science Laboratory reached the village and took samples to Patna and even the Bhojpur SP and other senior officials rushed to the spot.
Jitendra Yadav, Member, Bhojpur district Board from Karath, said that how can daily wage earners build lavatories at their houses when they had no house of their own.
DSP, Piro, Reshu Krishna, said that an inquiry into the incident has been ordered and the accused would arrested and sent to jail.