NCPCR chief visits violence-hit Barhi to oversee probe into Rupesh murder case

Hazaribag, Feb 20 (PTI) Chairperson of apex child rights body NCPCR Priyank Kanoongo on Sunday visited Barhi in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district to take stock of the investigation into the killing of Rupesh Kumar Pandey during Saraswati Puja.

Kanoongo, the chairperson of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), held separate meetings with the district officials and enquired about the investigation.

He also visited the residence of Pandey, 17, and met his family.

Kanoongo told reporters that a report will be submitted to the Centre and the state government soon.

"The purpose of my visit was to ensure that the laws to related child rights are not violated by the police in the case," he said.

Pandey's family demanded justice for the killing and pleaded for relief to maintain the family as he was the sole earning member, Kanoongo said.

Pandey's family also urged him that a boy who was held for arson in the violence that followed the killing should not be harassed.

The boy, who is lodged at a juvenile home, was produced before Kanoongo.

Among the officials Kanoongo met were Deputy Commissioner Aditya Kumar Anand, Superintendent of Police Manoj Ratan Chothey, Officer-in-Charge of Barhi police station Niraj Kumar Singh, Sub-divisional Police Officer Nazir Akhtar and the district child welfare officer.

He also met the doctors of Hazaribag Medical College and Hospital who conducted the post-mortem examination of Pandey's body, and the doctor of Barhi Hospital who treated Pandey and later declared him dead.

No political leaders were allowed to meet him.

Pandey was killed during the immersion of Saraswati idols on February 6, leading to widespread violence in the area.

Meanwhile, two more people were arrested in connection with the violence, taking the total number of arrests to eight, police said.

Another 10 persons were arrested for vandalising the idol of a god on February 12.

After days of tension, violence-torn Barhi is at present limping back to normalcy. PTI CORR BS SOM SOM