NCPCR chairman: Priests spreading superstition, misleading children for conversion

"Some complaints have been received from Punjab and Rajasthan about priests spreading superstition in the name of treatment of children and misleading them for conversion, action is being taken", he tweeted.

He also urged the people to email the complaints and videos to 'cp.ncpcr@nic.in' and further requested not to circulate the video on social media to maintain children's privacy.

Earlier, after the two back-to-back shocking incidents of atrocities against minor girls in Jharkhand's Dumka, Priyank Kanoongo scheduled a visit to the district to meet the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police.

"The Commission has come across with yet another incident of alleged rape and murder of a minor tribal girl by a man named Arman Ansari...under Mufassil police station on Friday. The accused, identified as Arman Ansari, has been arrested and a case has been registered under relevant sections of IPC, POCSO and SC-ST Act," an official notice from NCPCR said.

"In addition to the scheduled visit of NCPCR team led by Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson, NCPCR to Dumka on 5th September 2022, as conveyed vide letter dated 31.8.2022, the team will also take stock of the status of the said incident on 5th September 2022, by convening a meeting with DC, SP, Investigating Officer of the case and Doctors who conducted the autopsy of the minor victim girl, besides to meet/interact with the family members of the deceased minor girl," it added.

Earlier, the Jharkhand Police had informed that they have registered a case of rape and murder against the accused in the case of the minor girl who was found hanging in a field in Dumka on Saturday.

"Rape and murder case registered under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and SC/ST Act. Accused Armaan Ansari was arrested. We want to collect evidence and file a chargesheet soon," Amber Lakra, Superintendent of Police, Dumka said.

The case pertains to the incident when a 14-year-old tribal girl was found hanging from a tree.As per the reports, the girl was allegedly sexually exploited by a man on the pretext of marriage and was raped, killed, and hanged from the tree in Dumka.

This came days after another minor girl was set ablaze in the region by one Shahrukh Moin on August 23. The girl had succumbed to her injuries on August 28.

However, two unfortunate incidents have also taken a political turn as BJP MP Nishikant Dubey slammed the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand for the growing atrocities on Dalit girls and said that "underage Dalits and tribal girls are being exploited and the government is sleeping." taking to Twitter, Dubey also claimed that the minor girl was 3-months pregnant.

"From the news received from the relatives of the minor girl in Dumka, it appears that the girl was 3 months pregnant. This should be investigated. "Grooming gangs" are active in Jharkhand, in which Bangladeshi Muslim boys, are exploiting underage Dalits and tribal girls and the Soren government is sleeping," Dubey said in a tweet.

"Hanging body of a girl found in Dumka. She was hanging by a tree. One accused has been arrested. The investigation is underway. All facts and other things are being ascertained," Dumka Police had said on Saturday. (ANI)