Jamshedpur, May 24: The suspicious death of a 15-year-old student, Mala Singh, in the Bodam police station area of East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand, has led to tension and anger in the locality. Her body was discovered hanging from a tree about two kilometers away from her home on Saturday.
Following a post-mortem on Sunday, the arrival of her body in the village ignited concerns among local residents and family members, who suspect foul play. They are demanding a thorough high-level investigation and immediate arrest of those responsible. Mala was a ninth-grade student at Lailam School in Bodam. She had left home on the evening of May 21, telling her family she was going to bathe in a nearby pond. When she did not return by late evening, her family began searching for her.
Despite extensive searches by relatives and locals, there was no trace of her until Saturday when villagers found her body hanging in a secluded area near a field, causing a sensation in the community. Upon receiving the information, the Bodam police chief arrived at the scene with a police team, removed the body from the noose, and took it into custody. The police conducted an inquest and sent the body for post-mortem at MGM Medical College, where the procedure was completed on Sunday, and the body was handed over to the family.
Since the incident, Mala’s parents have been devastated, and the village is engulfed in mourning and anger. Family members and villagers have outrightly rejected the police’s initial claims, asserting that this is a clear case of murder. They argue that Mala was a cheerful girl with no tendencies towards self-harm. They have raised serious questions about the police investigation, particularly how her body ended up two kilometers away from the pond she was said to be visiting.
Additionally, suspicious scratch marks were found on the deceased’s body, suggesting a struggle. Villagers have warned that if a fair investigation does not reveal the truth, they will be compelled to launch a protest. The Bodam police chief stated that they have registered an unnatural death case and are investigating from all possible angles. While the case may initially appear to be a suicide, the true cause of death will only be determined after the post-mortem report is released.