Minor was hit by a blunt object,says postmortem

Since the body was badly decomposed,its forensic examination at the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla could not ascertain details like sexual assault. Sources said viscera samples of the girl had been collected for DNA tests,legal verification of her identity and to see if there was any sexual assault on her.

With no signs of injuries inflicted by any sharp object,the theory of her sacrifice on the advice of a tantrik,suspected by the villagers who blew the lid off the crime,has not been corroborated by the postmortem,the report of which is yet to formally reach the Una police.

“We are on the lookout for the fourth accused,Vikram alias Biku,who took the body in his tractor to the spot where she was buried,as stated by Vikasdeep,the main accused. Vikasdeep said he had hit Sarita with a stick after she made a mistake in the daily chores on June 16. She fell unconscious,but he did not seek any medical help and stuffed her body in a sack and hid it in a bathroom. Following this,they hatched the conspiracy to dispose of the body,” said Una Additional Superintendent of Police K G Kapoor.

The crime was discovered on Monday after the villagers raised an alarm on June 24 by registering a complaint,as the girl had been missing since June 16.