Date:30/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/30/stories/2005043011160300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Girl found murdered in Ramanagaram

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: A 13-year-old girl was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in Ijur police station limits in Ramangaram taluk of Bangalore Rural district in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to a complaint lodged by Hasina Bi with the Ijur police, she had slept in front of her house at Gurmatagudde on Tuesday night along with her grandchildren, Sabreen Taj alias Neelu (13) and Naushad.

Around 3 a.m. on Wednesday she woke up on hearing her grandson screaming. She saw her daughter-in-law trying to wake up Sabreen Taj who had a head injury and was bleeding. They found a boulder lying near Sabreen Taj. When they rushed Sabreen Taj to a hospital, she was declared brought dead.

Hasina Bi said that someone had bludgeoned Sabreen Taj to death when she was asleep. After Sabreen Taj's father, Dastagir, who works as a watchmen at a farm near Bidadi, returned from work on Wednesday afternoon, Hasina Bi lodged a police complaint.

The Ijur police, who have registered a case, said they were yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder.