Siblings murdered in Jalgaon: 3 detained

The family, who belongs to the Bhil tribe, had moved to the village from Madhya Pradesh eight years ago and had been staying on and cultivating their landlord’s banana farm.

Pravin Mundhe, Superintendent of Police, Jalgaon, said that throughout Friday and Saturday, the police questioned several people, most of whom were boys under the age of 18. “On the basis of the evidence gathered from the crime scene, we have detained three people. We have got certain positive clues and all the leads so far point towards their involvement in the crime,” he said.

The police are also awaiting the post-mortem report from the Jalgaon District Civil Hospital to find out if one of the children was sexually assaulted.

Mundhe also said that preliminary inspection has revealed multiple injuries on the bodies of the children.

“Most of the injuries are on the neck and head. Some of the victims have more than one injury,” he said.

Pratap Dighavkar, Inspector General of Police, Nashik Range, said that arrests of the detained suspects would most likely be announced on Sunday. A Special Investigation Team headed by Assistant Superintendent of Police Kumar Chintha is probing the murders.

However, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted on Saturday that “the suspects have been arrested”. Deshmukh met the grieving parents on Saturday and assured them justice at the earliest.

Deshmukh also tweeted that Jalgaon native Ujjwal Nikam had been appointed Special Public Prosecutor in the case.Gulabrao Patil, Shiv Sena’s MLA representing the Jalgaon Rural constituency, also said that the state government would provide financial assistance to the family.