Teen found dead in UP's Pilibhit, family alleges gang rape

PILIBHIT: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed in this district of Uttar Pradesh, a police official said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday in a village under the Barkhera police station limits, police said.
The teen had left for her tuition classes on Saturday morning. When she did not return her home in the night, her family members started a search for her and contacted the police, SP Dinesh Kumar said.
Police found the body of the girl in a naked state in a sugarcane field close to her village, the SP said.
There were a number of injury marks on the body and a piece of cloth was found stuffed into her mouth, police said. Her books, bag, cycle and shoes were found lying a few metres away from the body, police said.
Four beer bottles, snacks and cigarette butts were also recovered from the spot, they said.
The family members of the minor have alleged that she was gang raped. Police said all angles, including that of gang rape, are being probed and it cannot be ruled out. Six people have been detained and are being interrogated, they said.
Based on the complaint of the family members, a case has been registered against one named accused and five other unidentified people under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, police said.
The body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem examination, police said.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault)