Meghalaya: Teen girl found dead in Ri-Bhoi, police suspect rape and murder

Guwahati: A 13-year-old minor girl was found dead in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya after a brief disappearance from her home.

It triggered a police probe into suspected foul play.

The kid vanished on October 9, shortly after reaching home from school.

Within nine hours, her body was found “prompting authorities to initiate a post-mortem examination at Nongpoh Civil Hospital on October 10.”

Initial findings have raised serious questions about the circumstances on her death.

As per the the investigating officer, "Prima facie, it appears to be a case of rape and murder," Superintendent of Police Vivekandand Singh stated to the media.

Cop have identified a suspect in the case, though he remains at large.

"There is a suspect who has been absconding, and efforts are underway to nab him at the earliest," Singh told reporters, emphasising the urgency of the search operation.

Sleuths have secured evidence from the location and continue gathering information as part of the ongoing inquiry. The case has intensified concerns about child safety in the region, with authorities mobilising resources to apprehend the suspect and establish the full sequence of events leading to the tragedy.