A six-year-old girl was found dead in the trunk of a locked car in Chhattisgarh’s Durg district on Saturday evening, hours after she went missing following a Kanya Bhoj organised as part of Navratri festivities.

The gruesome crime has sent shockwaves across the state and reignited public concerns over child safety and police accountability.

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The child had visited her grandmother’s house to participate in the community ritual, but failed to return home. Her family launched a frantic search before filing a missing complaint with the Mohan Nagar police.

The search culminated in tragedy when her body was discovered inside a car parked near a relative’s residence. According to locals, the vehicle belonged to a nearby resident.

Initial findings have pointed to sexual assault. “The post-mortem report indicates signs of sexual violence, with injuries, bruises and bite marks found on the victim’s body,” said Additional Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathore.

“Cardiac arrest has been mentioned as a possible cause of death, but we are awaiting the final autopsy report. Three suspects have been taken into custody for questioning,” he added.

As news of the crime spread, residents gathered in large numbers outside Mohan Nagar police station, accusing law enforcement of negligence and delayed action.

The protest soon turned violent—stones were hurled, a police vehicle torched, and officers resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

The girl’s grieving family refused to accept the body, demanding capital punishment for the perpetrator. “She had gone to attend a sacred event. We will not perform her last rites until the guilty are hanged,” said a distraught relative.

On Sunday, Superintendent of Police Sukhnandan Rathour confirmed that the prime accused, Somesh Yadav, 24, the girl’s uncle, had confessed to the crime.

“He admitted to sexually assaulting and murdering the child on Ram Navami. We are probing whether he had any accomplices. Forensic and digital evidence will guide further investigation,” the ASP stated.

The case has quickly snowballed into a political flashpoint. Former Congress MLA Chhanni Sahu demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, holding the state government accountable for the deteriorating law and order situation.

“What kind of administration fails to protect children even during religious celebrations?” she questioned. Congress spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla called for the immediate suspension of senior Durg police officials, alleging grave dereliction of duty.

Durg Mayor Alka Baghmar met the bereaved family and assured them of justice through a fast-track trial. Meanwhile, mounting criticism has been directed at Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Rajwade, who had not issued a statement on the incident till late Sunday evening. Child rights activists and women’s groups condemned her silence, calling it “inexplicable and insensitive.”

City Superintendent of Police Chirag Jain said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed and that forensic teams were thoroughly examining the crime scene. CCTV footage from the surrounding area is being analysed, and the police are examining call records to trace the sequence of events leading to the crime. Preliminary findings suggest that the victim may have known her attacker.

Durg continues to reel from a crime that has not only shocked the conscience of Chhattisgarh but also exposed systemic gaps in safeguarding vulnerable children.

The fact that the victim was allegedly assaulted and killed after attending a Navratri event—a celebration of feminine divinity, has deepened the collective trauma. While the state government has promised swift and uncompromising action, public trust can only be restored if justice is prompt, transparent, and sets an unequivocal precedent.